Ages to Burgos 26km

The hostel in Ages that we left today has automatic lights in the dorm. They didn’t go on in the morning so we all had to pack and move around in the dark . It wasn’t fully light when we all left either and Phil found my glasses on the floor on the other side of my bed. I also left my poles in the hostel and luckily one other person left came down and opened the door otherwise i would have had to wait in a ghost town in the cold until 12pm. Lesson:- I must do a final check before I leave!

Hospitaleros have their own home and as we have found out often leave early in small places and arrive late. As of yet we haven’t even been given an emergency phone number to call should anything untowards happen in the hostel. We are left to fend for ourselves! This improvement must be addressed and I shall be writing to someone about this . I’ve read many stories of wonderful hospitaleros. I’ll be honest . We haven’t come across many of these yet. They are polite and helpful if you need info but apart from one albergue they haven’t done anything above and beyond what is expected of them.

The journey

We left Ages ( pronounced “ahghez”) at sunrise for a partially semi treacherous journey on and off road trying to dodge barely visible black ice ( which Pak slipped over sharply) .

We strolled past Atapuerca without problems. I looked longingly at the excavation area and wished it was opening hours. For the who don’t know , Atapuerca caves contain the oldest humans in Europe to date- nearly 1 million years old. It’s quite hard in winter to plan visiting something as you walk because cafes are closed and albergues throw you out at 8am. Siesta closing is often 2 till 5. Another time and a better plan…

We also had to contend with snow that had hardened through the night and became a little difficult to walk through and very slippery where previous days footsteps had compressed the snow . The land consisted of a very stony and rocky ground which were partially hidden below the snow. The uneven ground felt dangerous not only to the risk of tripping but a serious ankle injury . The sun shone fully and the winter wonderland scenes were maintained for another day. The birds were persuaded Into thinking it was Spring and a variety of different birds, mainly finches were busy chirruping and flitting in and out of trees and roof eaves. A beautiful formation of geese made a giant triangle as they flew noisily across the intense blue sky .

I feel for future pilgrims however. There is a great deal of snow which must melt over the next few days in all the areas we have walked and is guaranteed to make these areas into quagmires and create further dangers. This mud will start to dry and probably become very sticky which takes me back to my memories of Glastonbury festival where the only suitable footwear were wellies and shorts. Every step will need twice the strength and concentration in order to stay on 2 feet . Hostels don’t always have anywhere to clean boots so bring your own cloth .

After planning our detour from the yellow arrows to enter Burgos via the river, we missed the turning and we ended up taking the 16km soulless route round the airport and then through the industrial area. No one called ” buen camino” despite me making eye contact.

I walked too fast on hard pavements and only realised i had left out my gel foot insole when I sustained bruising to the ball of my foot. ( I would strongly advise going to the pound shop and putting a pair or 2 of these in your rucksack and in between your 2 pairs of socks/ tights/ sock combination if the pads of your feet ache) . Furthermore I had not eaten proper food since the previous evening just a couple of small biscuit bars) and my depleted blood sugar levels made me irritable and anxious . I learnt today that although I often feel like i have an endless supply of energy , my brain needs feeding! I felt like a new person after food. Altered brain states end in disasters ! Remember to pack some food or plan which supermarkets are open. Time after time we find everything closed.

Burgos

Burgos is a wonderful city and the hostel is great too. Amongst its gems, it has one of the grandest gothic cathedrals in Spain and we love the arches of plane trees which have been grafted together. They are superb to look at even in winter where the gnarly trunks and branches play a dominant part in the streets. We met up with Katharina who managed to get on a bus ( she was previously unable to till yesterday due to autism and fears) and is resting here again due to tendonitis. Stinke also seems to have tendonitis and will have a rest day . Most of the Koreans will do a 32km day tomorrow. Because of winter we must do either 13km or 32km. Pak, the 62 Korean who has faithfully been with us since the beginning ( and barely speaks a word of English) has followed our group as he doesn’t want to travel solo. We will do the 13km short day as he will do. I’m not quite sure but I have had this feeling he s adopted Phil and I as his guide for the whole camino unless we catch up with the Koreans. We don’t mind but perhaps this is now a responsibility we weren’t expecting. He s lovely and goes along with anything as long he gets a beer and cigarettes on the journey! Suerin, a lovely Korean thanked me for this. Pak said he won’t travel solo but I’m not quite sure what will happen if we decide to do some longer days . I don’t want to feel like I have physically ruined the man as he tries to keep up . He never consults guides because he can’t read English so I imagine hes scared of going alone. He doesn’t use Google translate but we seem to manage with gestures and words . Everyone should do their own camino but what do you do if you can’t feel you can do it without support? He asked the Koreans if he could be their “puppy” . Does this mean Phil and I have a puppy now ? Bless him .

Also the crazy Spanish man ( mentioned my previous blog posts) has been leaving strange messages in the guest book here and scared a few pilgrims with his behaviour . I haven’t had it translated yet but it mentions a bitch and roncevalles . We were there with him and the girls with me here are worried he may be talking about one of us ! But he’s 1 stage ahead on the camino and hadnt calmed down yet. But he also fed Katharina bananas and chocolate last night like he did to me last week!

Some random thoughts on camino lost property

Phil and I have picked up odd gloves on the route and handed them back to their owner at the next hostel . Should we pick them up or leave them ? Perhaps this person will retrace their steps and find it gone ! In the winter we know exactly who has passed before us but in the summer what should we do ? Lost property on the Way is always difficult. Who do you leave property with? Over the summer should we expect hospitaleros to become adhoc lost property offices? Just a thought I’ve been having . Not sure what everyone else thinks!

Sunburn – I didn’t pack suncream. Today Burgos reached 15c and almost every pilgrim has sunburn on top of windburn. Crazy though it seems pack some sun cream if you usually use it.

Easy day tomorrow . Cathedral visit and 13km .

Belorado to Ages 29km

When you leave Belorado, make sure you marvel at the town’s street art and “hollywood” type pavement hand and footprints. Many dilapidated and crumbling Spanish towns could do with this type of art makeover .

Today’s journey to Ages was a difficult and challenging 29km incline but beautiful and mainly through an oak and pine forest . Before that section we first had to make our way through farmland up to Villafranca, a noisy truck stop, not liked by many pilgrims I understand. However , the sun was blazing in an intense and clear blue sky . At over 8c, we were soon taking off layers and sitting outside the cafe with a wine in my hand made the truck stop a very Inviting place. It’s pure perception when stopping at such a place. When we think we wouldn’t get those wonderful wines and foods without these trucks, these stops are a well deserved place for those hard working truckers, to them is an oasis!

Camino magic at the truck stop.

I had just found out I had left our huge bar of chocolate at the last hostel
I don’t know why but I told a Dutch driver we said hello to. He promptly went to his camper van and brought out 3 large bars of Milka for us! We bought him a beer and he ( pete) told us he was 79 years young. When i asked him where he was going he laughed and said he didn’t know . A real free spirit and an inspiration to the older generation. I’ve decided I want to be like him at 79

Spanish fields

Due to the tractors, the fields were covered in long white stripes of the snow. Green was trying to like through whenever possible in the form of baby wheat plants most likely . But it saddened me, as in most of Europe that hedgerows barely exist anymore in a bid to increase production . I wish the EU would make a law Insisting on a certain amount of hedgerows per area. Along the paths the snow glistened like millions of diamonds shimmering in the sun . It was fortunate that our path take us West because only very short parts of the journey the sun is directly in front of us . At these times the snow became platinum blocks of blinding light where it was difficult to negotiate the path ahead .

As you see there are no hedgerows!

The forest

The forest was over 4 hours of a real physical and mental challenge . As well as often being a steep and slippery incline, we had to negotiate our way between extreme mud, compressed and very slippery snow and ice vehicle tracks . These tracks were sometimes our saviour as we could follow them but other times a curse because they were dangerous icy paths. But again the scenery was like out of a picture postcard.

We had to creep along them so carefully as not to fall over. Very so often the snow would break into semi impassable mud and slush where we used our poles to assess the depth or the durability of the ice to step on. We wouod try to use other peoples footsteps in the 15cm + deep snow. I closely followed Phil so he could take the risks first. ( he could fall in the ditch first )All this time required patience, concentration and careful slow steps and we survived. We were hot but the snow and huge patches of ice meant the ground temperatures were still freezing in most parts.

There is a camino “oasis” in this forest which consists of beautiful wooden sculptures and a donativo bar in the summer months. Some people have gone to a lot of trouble to make amd maintain a haven in this forest – another camino gem.

Dripping could be heard everywhere from the ice melt and snow dropped in clumps from the pine trees sometimes on top of you if you were unlucky! Insects buzzed as if it was springtime. Perhaps the temperatures confused them. Anyway, despite this forest challenge we loved it for about 3 hours then decided play some music as it became a little monotonous. The inclines and declines became a straight path which didn’t seem to end and it was impossible to speed up .

After finding a newly renovated bar , great wine , wonderful fire ( to dry boots and socks) and friendly Spanish hospitalero in San Juan de Ortega we moved on to Ages . I was elated to find a field of peaceful and beautiful cows relaxing and grazing in open fields. It felt like we were alone on top of the earth with these graceful creatures. Snow and sunlight shone on everything. Some cows were cartoon like silhouettes in the distance You could really feel God’s presence in that place . It was serene and I felt like cuddling the cows like I did in India. I was honoured to be right up close to them on their land .

The day finished with a lovely dinner with our Korean and Hong Kong pilgrim friends.

Another magical day and Phil being a snow Angel face down

A few more ramblings about hostels and useful things

From our experience, we haven’t come across a plug yet and will bring one next time as it’s much easier to wash clothes and wash up with one. Nearly all the albergues have had blankets and a couple of pilgrims dumped their heavy sleeping bags but have had to keep warm some other way at the albergues with no blankets. All albergues seem to turn heating off at night. I have brought an over the door hook and i’ve found it invaluable on end of bed and in shower rooms. My 4 x usb fast charger has also been invaluable and I would advise bringing a long quality lead ( poundshop ones stop connecting ) as plugs are not all by beds ( especially if you are in top bunk ) people often prefer to use a mini charge bank rather than leave phone unattended. Also check the kitchens before you decide to cook and bring a penknife as sometimes it’s just not possible to cook and cut what you buy! We’ve often got to towns and villages when the only small local shop is closed . It seems that most are closed between 2 and 5. We have had the idea of passing through and buying in villages but not been able to ! In the winter it has even been hard to find a bar open except in bigger places .

Santo Domingo to Belorado 25km

We got up early today to catch the lights of Santo Domingo main plaza before we left. Katharina had got to have at least 1 or 2 rest days and leaving her was heart breaking:(

The route to Belorado was eventually and mainly on the side of a busy road . However we left at daybreak to catch the soft pinks and reds that disappeared behind the mountains in the distance as the sun rose . We admired the stork life pairs preening each other on top of special frames posts which have been placed especially for them. The semi snow covered hills made the scenes look magical as always and puddles were still frozen by midday even though you could have thought the blazing sun belonged to a summer scene.

Black ice and ice puddles were extremely prevalent this morning . If pilgrims leave before daybreak there could be some nasty accidents so be warned !

I also plan to try and spot what type of bird of prey are flying above me using a guide . There are also good plant spotting and tree spotting apps that can enrich the camino experience and help you take more notice of things especially on a long stretch. There is more life in winter than you think !

Granon (on the way) also has a good albergue and looks very magical ( photo courtesy of Kyle)

Long paths by the roads are fine by me. It gives me the opportunity to put on “my camino” podcasts by Dan Mullins. There are about 107 inspiring podcasts where he interviews different pilgrims and you really must download them . I don’t feel like I’m blocking out the camino vibe when listening to the pilgrims stories as I can relate to them on the walk and smile . It’s a moot point whether one should listen to audio or not but I believe the right sounds or an enlightening book can ease the end of the walking day . After 12 days I’ve probably listened to maximum of 6 hours, preferring the sounds of camino but lorries booming past and industrial areas are a bit of a buzz kill.

Unfortunately Belorado is a through road for big trucks so be careful pilgrims! The town is a mix of dilapidated houses that look for for demolition, new rather classy copies of the grand houses of the past and traditional homes. The plaza major is rather quaint with its bald plane trees all waiting to bud and it’s easy to imagine his town all bustling in the medieval period .

Advantages of winter

Ok, I’m biased about the winter as this was when the camino called us but the more we were told ” you’re mad” the more determined I was to make it a positive experience . So….

1. There are always albergues open and reasonable distance from each other . There are more than what is on the aprinca website . At st Jean we were given a fantastic hostel list

2. Due to lack of pilgrims there has always seemed to be enough radiators for everyone to dry their clothes and put a Washing line up around beds .

3. No queues anywhere and no rushing for the next bed.

4. We have never had more than 10 or 12 pilgrims so far ( up to Belorado) so you have a good chance of really bonding with them . Most of us have made more of an effort to sticking together .

5. We are rarely ever cold in winter and usually too warm and have to remove layers .

6. It’s not particularly a rainy season and after 12 days we still haven’t had a real downpour but only constant drizzly rain . It’s going to be dry and sunny for the next week and reach 12 to 14c!

7.No sunburn, dehydration or insect bites

8. We are constantly praised and welcomed by local businesses who aren’t hassled.

9. It’s more calm, peaceful and magical being the only tiny group on the walking stage.

10. Cashpoints are always full.

11. Winter becomes a wonderful experience rather then a season we can’t wait to finish

12. The hostels aren’t throwing you out but let you go in your own time even if an hour late!

13. There are no signs of public use of fields for toilets nor have we seen litter.

Do you need Spanish?

Some of the hospitaleros and bar tenders don’t speak Spanish . Neither do all the older villagers. I’ve been the only one in our group who can speak some Spanish so sometimes everything is directed at me . I’ve also made phone calls and asked questions for the Koreans too. Finally practising the language I studied 25 years ago. I also think you are treated better if you try to say something in Spanish. It’s all about effort. We wouldn’t treat someone the same if they spoke to us in am eastern European language in the UK for example.

Nelson Mandela Quoted ” If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” I will persevere with Spanish wherever I can because I want a richer experiences of the culture. I think any pilgrim could learn a few useful phrases .

Health and equipment update

My walking pole rubbers have worn down after 12 days and now I have to listen to clickety clack on the pavements. Next time I’ll bring spare rubbers . No matter how good the poles are, it’s the runners that wear and some people put more pressure than others on them .

Most people in the group have knees and / or ankles strapped . Phil, I and pak , the oldies are still unscathed so that says something ! Visits to pharmacies are almost daily. Please integrate foot training and hills into your camino plan.

Chinese New year in the hostel

It’s chinese New year tonight and having Koreans and a Chinese person amongst us means that a big communal meal was cooked…all on 1 gas ring and a microwave . The municipal hostel kitchen was not very well equipped and having 1 broken ring is not acceptable! However a camino cooking miracle must have happened in the kitchen because we had a real feast. No cork bottle opener either !!!!!!! So Kyle from America stabbed them with a knife and got splashed with red wine! Where there is a will there is a way on the camino. With 2l of sangria or bottle of wine for a little more than 2 euro it is easy to celebrate !

I read this on a wall of the hostel today . Some great advice…

Keepon walking!

Najera to Santo Domingo 23km

As we climbed towards Santo Domingo the wind was biting and occasional snow flurries blew almost horizontal. It had snowed throughout the night again creating a magical winter wonderland scene. The temperature barely reached over zero yet after a few hours we walked into sunshine ( thank goodness). Yet again the uphill struggle required focus and mental strength against the elements and to focus the mind away from the aches and pains that were plaguing the group . The clickety clack of the hiking sticks were almost regimentary in sound and for the first time since the UK I was struggling with coldness in my fingers despite having skiing gloves on .

The undulating farmland was mainly covered in a beautiful blanket of fresh snow and the mountain peaks in the distance shone gloriously in the sun almost like a picture postcard. So the biting cold didn’t seem so menacing. Without this cold, there would have been a completely of different picture of slush and water today and certainly without the views we had . Without the cold and dormancy, many trees can’t flourish later. It’s much easier to be positive on the camino.

The chicken legend

Santa Domingo, our destination, is home to the legend with the chicken and home to a magnificent cathedral . Just Google the story if you want a giggle . The story is really a great marketing tactic nowadays because it attracts many tourists . I often think the bishop who identified St James bones without any DNA evidence may have thought the same ie to attract more people to the church !

We met up with Stinke and Karen in the albergue as they were on a rest day. What a lovely suprise! You just never know what will happen to the camino family from one day to the next . The noise and lots of laughter has permeated the hostel once more ! Poor Katerina looks like she has inflamed ankle tendons so will have 2 rest days and catch us up. Rest, ice and painkillers for tendons are a must for her and anyone else who may be on camino. Tendons take months to heal sometimes!

Birthday on the camino

It was Suerim ‘s birthday today. She is part of our camino family from the beginning so we all surprised her with cake, bubbly and chocolate after eating a communal meal. It is something we will never forget, this comradery and joy from people only strangers 12 days ago! I think this is felt even more in winter as there are so few of us – back to 10 of us today !

Lack of time to read

Although blogging takes time, im.so glad I didn’t bring my kindle . There are plenty of things to do once you reach your destination especially if you do full stages and visit places in between . We have often got to a hostel near dinner time . By the time you have done your domestics, rested, stretched, washed clothes and self, gone shopping, visited the town, socialised, cooked, social networking, planned the next day. ..its bedtime!

Dangerous pilgrims around

We have just heard about a Spanish guy in Granon ( next town) who wrote ” I kill 4 of them ” instead of writing his name in the signing book” today. He was thrown out too. We have since found out it’s the first crazy angry Spanish guy we met in Valcarlos. He liked me and gave me chocolate and bananas but was a very agitated man. I wonder what went wrong between Valcarlos and Granon? It makes me think women should indefinitely not be doing the Camino in the winter alone. Both of these guys were very nice to me but seeing how they turned was quite frightening . Pilgrims please be aware of these dangers on the way no matter how small.

The impoverished pilgrim

A bedraggled pilgrim with mental health issues ( with the dirtiest looking bags and clothes that made him look homeless) walking back from Santiago came Into the reception for warmth. He only had builders gloves and his hands were in a bad way . He was from Vienna and had excellent English. I finally had a home for the gloves I had carried seemingly pointlessly until now. ( that were left from whoever swapped my silk gloves for them on day 2 at Roncevalles) . He was so happy and I was pleased I could help. (There is always someone who needs something you don’t) It’s amazing what is abandoned on the pilgrimage. Only yesterday did Katharina pick up brand name quick dry thermal top and bottoms!

This pilgrim attacks the hospitalero!

The pilgrim wanted 1 euro as he said he had no money and wanted tomatoes! Phil being a gentleman gave him 2 euros and we had no idea how he would get further without money as he still needed to get to Logrono. But he spoilt the pilgrim vibe by almost looking like he would pounce on Stinke and coming very close to women then proceeded to tell the new pilgrims who came into the albergue that the hospitalero was bad ( in the hospitaleros earshot) so he got thrown out. ( Walking to Santiago and back you would have thought he had learnt a few lessons.) An hour later he came back and got the hospitalero in a full body restraint and cut his nose. The hospitalero said he would have stabbed him in the eye to defend himself with a spike of an umbrella if our guys hadn’t have come! Song caught him and asked what he was doing and the man said they were “amigos”. Song called up to Phil and we all ran down . Good old Hubbie Phil became the diplomat in the situation and encouraged him to go with Song being the wingman whilst the hospitalero gave the pikgrim an earful in Spanish . I kept recording in case it was needed for evidence ( although I missed recording the actual attack) . Phil tried to ask him what he wanted and was even prepared to pay for a ticket back to Logrono but he wouldn’t say anything and shot off down the road . The men were all on high alert to run to reception again the rest of the afternoon. The pilgrim came back but the hospitalero had locked us all in for our safety. What a day ! But we laughed these situations off but all agreed we should be more vigilant. 2 incidents in 1 day is too many !

Always look in the freebie food cupboards when cooking meals !

Navarette to Najera 17km

I was Sleeping next to the window. I couldnt put the blind down due to the howling wind bashing it against the window so i’m sure the man across the street was watching me writing my blog. I felt like one of the Portuguese ladies who sit by their window who know everything that’s going on except I was doing it with sleeping bag around me . I changed my mind about it being great having a room with a view especially on the weekend. This also means we had to listen to the drunks and pub goers in the main square. The great bell chimes every hour too. And Spanish children ….you don’t see any all day and then suddenly they ‘re playing at 11pm. Never mind. More meditation music needed!

The amazing Stinke and Karen have gone solo for their spiritual journey and we wish them love and happiness throughout. We ‘ll hope to see them later in the year in Portugal . Such incredible characters , the hostel has lost some energy without them in it . I should also say sorry to Stinke for assuming that she had the gps directions to the hostel on the night she lost her way. I assume too much and that experience taught me not to assume everything particularly when i am in a multilingial group!

Expectations

I have been thinking about what i want from this experience. We have no expectations because the camino gives you what you need and not what you want. But i hav e a list of wants and if I go to enough masses and get blessed by all the Padres I might get lucky! Phil and I would like to come back more creative , being able to concentrate more, be better people, become healthier in both mind and body and have a deeper spiritual awareness. Whether this happens or not, we’ ll know at the end! We are here to have fun, embrace Spanish culture and meet new friends so that part is certain. I’d also like not to rely on technology so much. I’m still hooked onto looking up on Google far too much. To be honest I don’t think I’d leave Kent (UK) if it wasn’t for Google. We are all on mobile phones here ! Ken, one of the camino veterans who is sharing some of our hostels just turns up to the old haunts he knows and gives us tips when He sees us every couple of days. He s not interested what Google or any other book or guide has to say . I wish I could be more like that . He can sleep through anything and carries the smallest rucksack . He wears trainers and ankle socks with 3 quarter length trousers, cheap poncho that blows everywhere and trots through puddles at near freezing temperatures. Today he walked through slush, snow and wind without a care in the world . I asked him about his feet and he said he didn’t mind them wet and doesn’t have feet problems! Hard-core Ken and one of the camino legends!

I met a French girl in Japan last year who had a normal little rucksack, had only the clothes she stood up in except for shorts and teashirt pyjama), sold her clothes and bought second hand during changes of seasons. She walked round Japan and Korea for 2 years and still had money left from 8000 euros. We pilgrims walk round Spain and carry enough provisions for 2 people to live off! Sin calls it “panic buying ” . We spend all our efforts sending back camino items back home and fill the gap with food and drinks that we never finish till the next hostel anyway! No one withered away after 5 hours walking. We do not need copious amounts of carbs and sugar to get energy. It’s another camino bad habit we have to lose . I spent a week intermittent fasting in Japan and didn’t even drink liquid for 16 hours. ( for anyone who doesn’t know, dry fasting is one of the oldest natural healing methods that can reset immune systems and improve many diseases and ailments) so on the camino in winter I should try to not be so greedy and eat for the sake of eating as this is what we do back in UK.

Snowy day!

What an eventful day . The trees that had just produced new buds yesterday would be crying with regret if they had a voice . Snow came quickly overnight and temperatures dropped to freezing . Snow once again adorned the mountains and then became slushy as we traipsed for miles up mountain and road paths, battling against the biting wind and further snow flurries . It does sound rather bleak doesn’t it? Well it was magnificent! In the UK I would be moaning my head off but here we embraced nature’s power and laughed ! Walking up mountains in snow and jumping over temporary flowing brooks is magical. The body must be fully aware and conscious to make it through without a slip or tumble. The snow also gave Phil a new perspective his haiku poems.

W

Walking up to and past Ventosa, it claims to have a kilometre of art but apart from a small scallop display on a wall, there really isn’t anything so a bit disappointing ! Perhaps someone can enlighten us on their camino as to this kilometre of art here ??

The sun broke through where it could for respite and we took refuge in a giant “beehive”. Some people have mindlessly grafittied on the inner stones but others have taken their time , brought their own acrylics and created small works of art . This led us Phil and I discussing the art vs graffiti debate. When you see some of the artwork below you can consider your own views .

Before you walk Into Najera, there are millions of smooth stones which cover the ground which may have been washed down from the ice age. A great spot for starting another rock balancing area I thought. I made a start and would have spent many hours being creative had it not been for the cold and snow. So pilgrims.. before you get into Najera perhaps you could add to the story for us and may it become another rock stacking/ balancing haven on the camino!

Our hostel is very homely with lots of old wooden features and low ceilings. However this means I will bump my head if i dont think. The bed squeaks and rocks like never before . I may sneak into the empty dorm without the hospitalero knowing in order to save Phil’s sanity . The rain is also dripping on the roof over my head and creating an incessant knocking that can only be akin to some torture method! I have to roll on my stomach and do a backwards army belly shuffle down the metal steps to get down. The bunk sways in all 4 directions . I do a daily UV torch bed bug check . ( for about 6 pounds they are small and brilliant). I now do bed squeak check but have come to the conclusion they all squeak and rock , some worse than others.

I don’t think the hospitalero takes the business very seriously . He stays in his warm front room and waits for the reception bell to ring. He permanently leaves a ” back in 5 minutes ” sign on the desk . In the end I took it upon myself to enter the property upstairs and call out ” hola” until he came. Another Korean came and I took it upon myself to show her to the dormitory and show her the facilities because he didn’t appear. She stayed. I ushered another 2 men in but they gave up waiting and went elsewhere . I ended up phoning him and telling him what I’d done and he seemed pretty pleased as he brought tapas out for us! He also doesn’t have a box of newspaper balls. ( he found some newspaper eventually) Many hostels have these so you can put paper in your shoes to dry out the insides . Very important in all weathers . It’s a great way to remove sweat and rain . Make it a habit when you arrive at a hostel! I got stuck in the toilet due to dodgy sliding door which basically hasn’t got any runners !

Again another successful day. The weather turned for the worst so sightseeing was not on the agenda in Najera but we can’t win them all! All the more time to spend in a cosy group drinking sangria!

Logrono to Navarette 14km

By a twist of fate that Katharina should be with us for a little longer, our clothes were locked in the office on the dryer until after 9am so no long day. Therefore I had no tops to wear and 5 of us were all walking around missing various camino clothing including underwear ! We had planned to have a hostel party and get some wine if the cleaner hadn’t arrived or insist on a free bed for the inconvenience if we couldn’t do our stage!

This is the closest Hubbie Phil and I can get to each other in a hostel. Joining bunks with a partition .

Song has a sore knee, Sen has sore tendons in his feet, Stinke has a sore ankle, Katharina has to take it easy and Karen has sore feet. With the late start in mind and Injuries we decided to do half a stage. ( although Stinke and Karen went onto Najera ) MJ said goodbye to us so we are down to 7 pilgrims at present. A little sad as we have shared a hostel and closeness for over a week so the energy and noise levels are very different now ! It is hard whether to keep to the pace of one set of friends or another. Although everyone should “do their own camino” this is very hard in practice when you have started with a group of people especially in winter where that group is often the only group walking that day . It feels like a group camino due to the comradeship . This need to continue as a group is very important to me but I have to accept that this can end any day due to injuries, personal schedules and paces . Their camino has made my camino the way it is . I have no expectations, just to get to the end . Being able to share the experience with others is even more rewarding .

If ever we needed motovation today, we met an elderly man who had walked to Santiago and was walking back again to his home in Spain. What a trouper!

Tendons

Tendons seem to be a problem on the camino. I overtrained whilst walking on a 15 percent incline on a treadmill for a month. It was 3 months before the tendonitis pain subsided. I still feel it slightly on difficult days. All I wanted to do was get ahead on the hills. Poor Sen currently has ice on his ankle and a compression sock for the tendon inflammation. This must be so frustrating for him. I would advice future camino goers to do some steady incline training because tendon pain can take months to disappear.

The freebies

Hostels are great . Pilgrims are always leaving things and they are often the things you need. We needed a triple plug and I longed for body lotion. Hey Presto! I am now the proud owner of both . I almost bathed myself in this lotion and such a simple product felt like luxury after days going without! The amnesty cupboard is like a great box of treasures that we take for granted in every day life. TIP: take with you tiny plastic bottles because there is always opportunity to top them up in hostels with lotions and potions! Perhaps the best bounties are to be found during the first few stages as pilgrims unload what they don’t want .

The public park “la Granjera” in Logrono is very impressive. A lot of care and attention has been taken to make it as natural as possible with a beautiful reservoir. The water shimmered in the sun like it was summer time and the swans and American doors glided effortlessly. The park has it’s own variety of camino rose , numerous brave red squirrels ( so rare to see nowadays since the grey squirrel took over) , tracks for all types of people to enjoy and leads you out from the city into a beautiful landscape.

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Even though you have to walk above and alongside the motorway for a while , the fences are adorned with home made twig wooden crosses from pilgrims over the years who have lost someone . We made one for our own lost ones. There seems to be significance even in the most insignificant places . This was an elaborate one in which I could see myself in it.

Phil is still taking photos of different camino signs. I think he is going to have a huge collection of them as every city and larger town seem to have their own! This is becoming an art project in itself.

The hostel

Our hostel “Buen Camino” is a 6 bed hostel which is actually a converted apartment so feels very exclusive. The views lead straight to to the plaza , the church, 12th century houses and sports bar. Although the bells are loud , i feel very lucky to be able to glance outside and see this majestic building.

The staff in the bar were so friendly to us . Free homemade tiramisu and then came the free black squid croquettes ….a grey marshmallow looking substance in the middle that was enjoyed by some but not for the faint hearted !

It is not until you spend all this time outside in January do you realise how much life still goes on . Plane trees are beautifully pruned and the natural grooves look like eyes staring at us as we pass them . I even feel birds appreciate the scraps of food more as pilgrims are few and far between . Furthermore we witnessed first white buds on trees today as sun shone and temperatures remained at a steady 10c. Next week we are promised a sunny week and temperatures of up to 15c! This really is turning out to be much easier weather wise than we had all anticipated.

Torres Del Rio to Logrono 20km

The mountains, stony paths and rolling hills through the rich red Rioja soil which makes the wonderful wine was almost mystical today. The mist crept between the trees and swept along the earth like something from a Charles Dickens novel. The paths were steep both in ascent and descent but we seemed much fresher today . Stinke and Karen went off like rockets again today . The rain reduced to mist and then we all complained we were hot again ..and so the layers came off !

Katrina the bravest soul

Katrina , the woman with cancer has gladly let me mention this in the blog. She is the bravest soul we have met in a long time. She has a whole list of illnesses including hepatitis and lupus and has some autism . She came alone and will go at her own pace after today . We became great friends so quickly but our pace is not sustainable for her . From her sore hips and day off to now sore knee she knows she must do it her way if she is to make it . This was heartbreaking for both of us . But I’ll be there in spirit and we ‘ll communicate each day as and can offer her tips on the journey. The kindness from strangers and friendship over the last 3 days will reassure her that magic will happen on the camino and she will have a wonderful journey . She knows this will probably be the only chance she has .

Katrina’s “godfather”

Karen has a godfather that she asked for on a German camino forum . By this I mean she asked for someone experienced in caminos who would befriend her and be her guide and support throughout the journey. His name is Uwe and has been there at all times for her and they feel like they are travelling together . This concept is beautiful. Someone is giving their unconditional love to someone with autism they have never met for the entire journey so that they may fulfil number one on their bucket list. The doctors are not hopeful about her future. I reminded her that doctors often get time diagnoses wrong and that positivity, faith and love will surely lengthen her time. Our hearts will also be with her on her journey and I will be her godmother. It will be a tearful goodbye but this is something that must happen on the camino and we are experiencing this type of goodbye for our first time and won’t be the last. Poor Karen’s feet haven’t got much better and she may also have to have a rest day. Our solid group may have to make some painful decisions tomorrow.

Our team building has got stronger. Today it was helping and guiding people through mud and fallen trees. It looks quite grim but is adds to the adventure and is very funny.

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ecisions decisions

We have 2 choices tomorrow . We either go to Navarette which is 14km tomorrow or we go to Najera which is nearly 32km. There is a bus from Navarette to Najera for anyone who can’t don the full journey . Furthermore we can’t leave early any more because the hospitalero has locked our drying washing in the office and gone home. We hope someone is going to come and see us leave tomorrow or we shall be waiting for clothes and Najera won’t be very safe due to lack of sunlight.

The beauty of today was most certainly the rock balancing and stacking area which has been built up by pilgrims over many years I expect . What a wonderful way to use some of the millions of rocks and stones in this area . We added to it and we also began another small rock pile and stack on the route. Perhaps others will add to this over the years too! This all gave the group so much pleasure we will stack rocks in other areas too and see what happens .

I must advice bringing some tiny amounts of essential oil with you . We have both tea tree and lavender. As well as dabbing and diluting this on injuries and bites ( yes- Stinke has a huge bite on her forehead in January) we’ve offered hot bowls of water and oil for sick and tired feet. Every hostel has olive oil and that makes a great carrier oil for an essential oil massage too. I always feel I can offer something to the group with massage, foot spa and reiki.

Walking with Asian people

What a wonderful experience . For a few days now we’ve walked on and off with the Koreans and someone from Hong Kong ( Sin) . They all have such a calm way about them . Conversation is interesting and the Camino carries them naturally along . Unlike us westerners with all our dramas, unloading excess baggage , groaning and feet problems, they all seem to just get on with the walk smiling ! They aim to get the balance right with talking, resting and walking and certainly add to our experience. We certainly learn from them and love to swap stories about culture.

Leaving meal

Unfortunately it’s NJ ‘s final night . His camino time is over for this year and will fly back to Korea next week. Just as luck would have it ( good old camino) there is a Korean food shop in Logrono centre. We all purchased Korean food and a quick shop in Carrefour meant we were able to have an enormous last feast together . English is limited for a couple of them but sharing and eating together communicating and a unique experience. All of us began last week just saying hello to each other . Now we are spending all day walking and now sharing meals and comradeship. If it wasn’t for NJ earlier helping me through the mud and getting wet himself, I would have surely have got really muddy!

I told Stinke we’ll worry in the morning about our locked in clothes if someone doesn’t turn up to let us collect them at 8 am. We haven’t even got an emergency number to phone if there is a disaster here! They just go off home and leave us to it in all the hostels.

Either way tomorrow some difficult decisions will have to be made on the next stage. 32km will be a killer. But our bags are lighter! For €14.90 We have sent a box to Santiago post office with 2.5kilo of belongings in there . Katrina has been twice to post office already and left other things! It’s much cheaper to pick up from Santiago because the box is one price . The same belongings would have been over €40 to post back to UK. Be warned . You don’t need much !

Estella to Torres del Rio 31km

We started off in great spirits!

We could have written a tv soap episode with today’s dramas! Things were emotional but ended with a good dinner at a lovely warm hostel.

I’m still not sleeping properly and Phil says it’s like sleeping in boat with me tossing and turning on the top bunk. We are going to change round tonight!

Firstly we decided to go together as a whole group of 10 ( which turned out to be a blessing disguise) . We went to Decathalon hiking and sports shop and we finally bought Karen her new hiking boots, socks and a mini rucksack. It was great for all of us to see her happiness and able to continue. Other members of the group bought mini rucksacks for the front as having essentials in the front of the body instead of twisting round is really convenient.

The Irache free wine fountain was a big hit with the group ( of course) . This is part of the monastery and very kindly donates the wine to thirsty pilgrims. One of the benefits of winter is that we are all guaranteed wine. I’ve heard in the summer that many pilgrims lose the opportunity due to greedy earlier pilgrims who take more than their fair share !

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fter the steep stony wet descent of Alto del Perdon, 2 of the Koreans twisted an ankle and a knee ( be warned pilgrims..). It was evident after 10km of limping that they were going to need a bus and Katrina’ s swollen hip was going to need a rest too. Katrina has cancer and this was an old operation that suddenly got sore . We all divided the contents out of her rucksack to ease the pain but eventually it all became too much and 4 of the group conceded and went to find a bus with Song and Karen. Because it’s winter we have become a close team as there is barely anyone else in the hostels but difficult decisions have to be made in order not to put the rest of the Camino at risk. This means splitting up.

“Foot surgery” and consultation by doctor Phil

The weather was favourable and we met Karen and Song further on ( another amazing time synchronicity) but only after they tried to walk back on to the camino and needed up on the motorway. The motorists had all.been making “wrong way” signs at them but they thought they were “buen camino” signs! Then the police stopped them and feeling very sheepish at their error they were guided back on right path. ( one of the injured party took the photo from the bridge )

Today was the most difficult day so far. It turned into nearly 32km and camino podcasts to get me through. Listsning to other peoples hardships and glories put ours into perspective. It was one of those days where the village didn’t seem to get lot closer. I have a pain in my right leg like someone has thumped me, tight calves and both Phil and my soles of feet are tender. But with no blisters I can’t complain as this seems to be the top problem. The wear and tear problems are growing . Not one of us now are in full physical.condition.

Villages are mainly ghost towns with nothing open. We didn’t pass one shop or bar in a village that was open so no much needed vino or coffee. Sitting down in winter outside is a cold affair if taking too long so bars are a godsend ( winter pilgrims take heed) . No bar to break up the day really is demotivating .

It was dark when we finally arrived . But after some time, Stinke hadnt arrived. We had separated slightly to walk by ourselves and at our pace but with sudden darkness she had lost her way. The hostel owner very kindly went out to search for her to no avail. Thank goodness for location sharing on the mobile phones that she turned up eventually cold and wet. Again…. warnings to winter pilgrims to plan your day to get to destination before dark. Limping, stops and slow plodding meant darkness and potential danger due to plummeting temperatures.

We all have windburn ( cream or Vaseline the face pilgrims!) and are beginning to look like real pilgrims now . Lotions and potions, tapes and other first aid paraphernalia is being shared round the group and swapped like swapping collectible cards ! I mentioned it was a short day tomorrow…20km to Logrono!

Pamplona to Estella 24km

The main theme today has got to be love, teamwork and friendship. Our Camino group is growing and everything success we’ve had over the last few days has relied on teamwork.

Doctor Phil

We have named ourselves the multilingual tribe! Phil should be named doctor camino as he’s been fixing and taping Stinke’s blistered feet constantly and giving out our tape and Compeed. I’ve been his loyal assistant, handing out post walk exercises, walking posture and health advice on ailing pilgrims, doing reiki and massage on sore body parts and using lavender essential oil on people making most places smell like an old ladies boudoir! We ‘ve had the typical pilgrim discussion of whether or not to use thread and Needle in blisters . I think Stinke secretly wants to be the first patient in the group to have it done by one of the men!

Crocs and socks …

Blisters forced Stinke into Crocs and socks for a few hours. Crocs ARE amazing . For those who haven’t tried this pilgrim fashion as a break to wearing boots please reconsider . We all went woth haooy feet to Dia supermarket in ponchos and crocs and socks in the rain

An observation…

The blue and yellow camino shell sign on thousands of houses and corners should all face the same way i.e with the lines of the scallop all.going to one point. Many of them are back to front so the person putting them up didn’t know the about the shell . So don’t assume the direction of the point is the direction to go !

Foot surgery on the go
We stop and start, perform “foot surgery” on the path. As soon as someone mentions a hotspot or blister, I insist it’s dealt with it immediately. There is no point in walking more until it grows! We ‘re not in a hurry and it’s no trouble . We are in this together now . One gets the first aid out , another is holding the bags or helping in another way! So much effort and time is saved if someone else can take something out your rucksack instead of having to take everything off . We have only known each other between 1 and 5 days and treating each other like we are family .

Jesus parables take on meaning here ...

If you look behind the parable of Jesus feeding the 5000, I believe the Camino can bring light on the story. Because Jesus taught the meaning of love, compassion and community, people were on the same wavelength, had the same vision, got together and shared their food and skills so the whole community were able to eat and enjoy. We had a communal meal of what looked like scraps of supermarket food from each of us. We needed up feeling like we are like kings and had so much food left over we can do the same again tomorrow. There was a share cupboard of free stuff and If you have ever watched “Ready, Steady, Cook” on t.v. then you will know how the chef turns a few items into a delicious meal ! Someone in our team always seems to have just the thing we need . It’s beautiful and synchronistic.

This was taken just as the shopping bags were being emptied.

I think 8 of us want to walk tomorrow but first of all to Decathalon hiking shop. We are finally going to buy between us new hiking boots for Karen. Plastic bags in her shoes and walking have made her feet swell . Song wants some hiking sticks now I’ve lent him mine to try and Katrina now wants to slow down with us to savour the beauties of the Camino that we find and ease her sore hips and shoulders that 2 days of trying to be iron woman has brought on! She has also found out the cost of sending 1.5kilo of clothes back to Germany. Ouch! You really need so much less here than you realise. All the walking makes you so warm no matter what the temperature is . I suffer from Renauds syndrome and must always wear gloves in UK and I’m constantly complaining about cold hands . Here i am walking without any gloves 80 percent of the time with warm hands which I am convinced is thanks to working with the hiking sticks! I have 3 pairs of gloves of different thicknesses …just in case !

Today’s beauty

The real treat of today was a rest place in some olive orchards past Cirauqui. Some nice people have created a garden full of love, peace and giving for pilgrims to rest and reflect. We are all invited to add something to it so we made a stone heart/ peace sign after a wonderful communal lunch under a home made shelter. We admired the stone noughts and crosses game left for pilgrims amusement, the wooden box of books, the pilgrims amnesty box with clothes and articles in, the giant stone circle and creations, the hanging decorations that adorned the trees and the shelters and benches (and much more!) It has so inspired us to do more of these in our Portugal home and has reminded us all what simple things bring a warmth to people’s hearts. A small camino miracle again… The rain ( quite light anyway) stopped for about half an hour as we admired the creations and ate our lunch!

Our quickly made heart above . We would have created things for ages had the rain not come down again. But we added something and that was the important thing.

Last but not least was the ancient monastery . The sun came out yet again at the right moment ( this seems to happen a lot !) And we could admire the spectacular views and respect the alter.

We feel so alive with this fresh and changeable weather . January has changed from one of the more miserable months of the year to something amazing .

Pamplona to Puente del Reina 27km

Due to the seemingly permanent weather forecast of rain, Karen went off today early with plastic bags in her shoes so we couldn’t purchase the new shoes for her. So I donated some merino socks to go in the plastic bags! We began walking with Katrina who, on her first day soon left us behind . She tried to make us go quicker but needs to realise its not a race. She began in Pamplona, another popular camino start. With a 12kilo bag and of slight build we do hope her feet will be ok. Too many newcomers go too fast in our opinion and pay for later in pain. Now 5 days completed we feel like professionals and are already re-adjusting rucksack waist belts and offering advice when needed.

We picked up another lonely pilgrim , Song, 25 from Korea. He looked like a giant green apple coming along due to the wind under his poncho . He was rather despondent as he had walked from St Jean alone and thought there would be plenty of pilgrims to talk to. With his charisma and good English, we were soon laughing and joking. He had to video his mother from the mountains to reassure her that he was safe and hadn’t been robbed by a European yet, which seemed to be her main fear! She seemed relieved when we all started waving and blowing kisses at her in the raging wind ! There are 5 Koreans here so far which makes them the most populous nation here. Song said that a famous singer did the Camino and some was televised and that is why lots of Koreans do it. This is similar to the USA film “The Way” in 2010 with Martin Sheen which now has a cult following. 10 percent of all pilgrims are now American thanks to this film .

The Camino has raised considerable interest since the BBC did a real life documentary where celebrities did it . It’s amazing how the media, if portraying spiritual journies in the right way can increase its popularity. In my opinion , the camino is becoming a victim of its own success, especially the summer where it has turned into a manic tourist experience with everyone rushing to be guaranteed of a bed and huge queues every where.

Considerable time was spent jumpimg and navigating quagmire like conditions and unsteady ground. Although this adds to the experience, it does mean that you can’t be so carefree.

We did a steep climb through the middle of mountain wind turbines in another 3 season day of great winds, rain and sun. This took us to Alto del Perdon or the Hill of Forgiveness. (750m) The views over Pamplona were fabulous even though the sky was full of clouds and the on off rain seemed to follow us . There are a number of flat rusty statutes here dedicated to pilgrims that, like all pilgrims , love to have their photo next to or one of the 40 wind turbines that grace the sky or even the new stone circle … We were in for a treat though. The wind was gale force and ponchos were tested to the maximum . ( this is where built in arms and rucksack space like in my Lowland poncho withstood the elements . The other ponchos had to be tied down by other means as we thought our new Korean friend and Phil might have actually taken off as the ponchos started to resemble balloons !) Well we were almost in tears laughing at this calamity as we tried to grab everything we could and trying to use the camera at the same time . We honestly wouldn’t have missed this rush of excitement and felt invigorated and energised as we battled with nature’s elements . Neither would I have ever swapped the experience for a summers day I promise you.

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he steep descent was another experience, testing our thighs as we stumbled down a path of smooth stones and gullies of running water . Sticks were a godsend today as they have been every day up to now. I hope I can walk tomorrow !

The hostel was a bargain at €5 and the rooms are so warm . The facilities are great . With only 5 in our cosy dorm I should be able to pinpoint the snorers tonight . However typical Sue style, I realised that I haven’t quite grasped the Camino vibe yet and my impatience showed . I shouted “hurry up” to everyone in the showers and banged on the door of an Eastern European couple who were in the shower forever talking and whatever ! Not very camino like but neither is hogging the shower In a hostel. But I will work on my issue. I promise!

I couldn’t resist the € 1.69 for 2 kilo of mandarins and Phil has told me he s not carrying them tomorrow . So I either given them away or eat most of the tomorrow morning. Remember camino goers… Adding lunch , fruit and drinks to your rucksack can add over 3 kilos . There has been hardly anything open during these walks through villages . Most have been a ghost town and not even had a bar open for coffee . If you see a supermarket, buy your lunch . Google says open sometimes when they are closed

There is mistletoe growing everywhere so Phil and I made sure we had a post Christmas kiss under it as he was too mean to buy any in December!

Equipment update

As well as the need for a more fitted poncho that doesn’t flap and try to fly away, Stinke has also learnt that cheap hiking sticks are cheap for a reason…

The runners on the end of her sticks have worn away in less than 5 days . So of you have cheap sticks , bring some spare tips . Also don’t use the rubber tips when you should be using spikes .

The Camino keeps providing.

Phil found a rubber tip ( hiking stick) randomly half buried in mud . Later that day he lost his runner tip down the drain . Lucky spare ! 4 times now when we have really needed shelter to perform foot surgery ( tend to hotspots and blisters), sort clothing out or eat , a shelter has literally been round the corner . There are barely any shelters in this part of Camino. Stinke cut her finger open deeply whilst trying to slice an avocado and suddenly in one of these ghost towns, municipal gardeners were around and had a first aid kit to bandage her up .

Despite our interest in old churches , none seems to be open . In fact hardly anything seems open so those 2kilo of mandarin oranges will come in handy for all of us tomorrow! One of the Winter camino drawbacks. However another lovely day with lovely people where we bless the simple things in life like howling wind, dancing in front of a camino statue in the pouring rain and the warmth of a single radiator afterwards.