Wednesday 19 February 2014

Spain: Camino de Santiago again

Pilgrims cut-out in iron, Alto del Perdon
Monday 29 July: From Bordeaux airport a convenient tram runs through town to Bordeaux St Jean station where I get the afternoon train to Bayonne for the little shuttle train to St Jean Pied de Port. So, once again, I'm at the popular starting point of the Camino Frances, the 500 mile (800km) pilgrim's walking route across the north of Spain to Europe's Atlantic coast.
Tuesday 30: (day 1): St Jean to Roscesvalles (16 miles, 25km) up and over the Pyrenees we go again from France into Spain, and down to Roscesvalles monastery's comfortable albergue.
Wednesday 31 (day 2): Roscesvalles to Zubiri (14 miles, 22km), Municipal Albergue in the former school house.
Thursday 1 August (day 3): Zubiri to Cizur Menor (17 miles, 26km), Albergue de Maibel marching straight through Pamplona.
Friday 2 (day 4): Cizur Menor to Lorca (20 miles, 32km), up to the iron cut-outs and wind turbines atop Alto del Perdon before dropping down to Puente la Reina and continuing through the pretty saucer-shaped village of Cirauqui to a single small room in Jose Ramon Albergue.
Saturday 3 (day 5): Lorca to Villamayor (13 miles, 20km), I couldn't resist stopping for a picnic lunch at the fuente de vino (wine fountain) west of Estella, private Albergue B&B.
Sunday 4 (day 6): Villamayor to Torres del Rio (13 miles, 19km), Albergue Casa Mariela.
Monday 5 (day 7): Torres del Rio to Logrono (14 miles, 21km), newly opened Check-In Albergue and an evening sampling from the town's famous tapas bars - black pudding topped with a fried quail egg, delicious.
Tuesday 6 (day 8): Lograno to Najera (19 miles, 30km), Puerto de Najera albergue over the bridge on the riverbank.
Wednesday 7 (day 9): Najera to St Domingo de la Calzada (13 miles, 21km), Cistercien nunnery with walled garden.
Thursday 8 (day 10): Calzada to Belorada (14 miles, 23km), Cuatro Cantones with indoor pool and good communal dinner.
Friday 9 July (day 11): Belorada to Ages (17 miles, 28km), El Pajar.
Saturday 10 (day 12): Ages to Burgos (22 miles, 14km), Santa Catalina.
Sunday 11 (day 13): Burgos to Hontanas (19 miles, 30km), hostal en-suite.
Monday 12 (day 14): Hontanas to Itero de la Vega (13 miles, 20km), bed in Albergue Mochila with good attempt at English breakfast.
Tuesday 13 (day 15): Itero to Carrion de las Condes (16 miles, 26km), Espiritu Santo nunnery with beds, good choice.
Wednesday 14 (day 16): Carrion to Terradillos (17 miles, 27km), Jacques de Molay bed and linen, good choice but sadly trouser pocket robbed at night, small money.
Thursday 15 (day 17): Terradillos to Calzadilla (16 miles, 26km), Municipal Albergue with solid four-compartment bunks.
Friday 16 (day 18): Calzadilla to Mansilla de las Mulas (15 miles, 24km), El Jardin del Camino with large front garden and bar.
Saturday 17 (day 19): Mansilla to Leon (12 miles, 19km), San Francisco Albergue en-suite double.
Sunday 18 (day 20): Leon to Puente Villarente (15 miles, 24km), El Delfin Verde with large outdoor pool. Had to backtrack to Mansilla (left my diary behind), as no buses on a Sunday, then back through Leon again (not the prettiest part of the Camino).
Monday 19 (day 21): Puento Villarente to La Virgin del Camino (13 miles, 21km), Municipal Albergue.
Tuesday 20 (day 22): La Virgin to Hospital de Orbiga to (18 miles, 28km), Albergue Verde, dinner B&B with afternoon yoga, great choice.
Wednesday 21 (day 23): Orbiga to Astorga (11 miles, 17km), San Javier Albergue and a fine meal opposite Gaudi's super Episcopal Palace, now a museum of religous art, yawn.
Thursday 22 (day 24): Astorga to Foncebadon (17 miles, 27km), Monte Irago Albergue where a local band offer us an entertaining evening of Spanish and Galician folk songs.
Friday 23 (day 25): Foncebadon to Molinseca (13 miles, 21km), up and through the pass of Irago, the highest point of the whole camino, Municipal Albergue bed in converted church.
Saturday 24 (day 26): Molinseca to Cacabelos (13 miles, 21km), Municipal Albergue.
Sunday 25 (day 27): Cacabelos to Vega de Valcares (18 miles, 28km), Albergue Sarracin.
Monday 26 (day 28): Valcares to Fonfria (15 miles, 24km), Reboleira Albergue.
Tuesday 27 (day 29): Fonfria to Sarria (17 miles, 28km), Don Alvaro Albergue.
Wednesday 28 (day 30): Sarria to Portmarin (14 miles, 22km), Santiago Albergue.
Thursday 29 (day 31): Portmarin to Palas de Rei (16 miles, 25km), Bar Central.
Friday 30 (day 32): Palas de Rei to Arzua (16 miles, 26km), Albergue Da Fonte.
Saturday 31 (day 33): Arzua to Arca (14 miles, 22km), Compass Pension
Sunday 1 September (day 34): Arca to Santiago de Compostella (13 miles, 20km) and the haven of an en-suite room in San Martin Pinario.
Tuesday 3: Bus from Santiago to the little port of Cee then a walk along the coast (8 miles, 13km) to Fisterra, a room in Pension Cabo.
Thursday 5: Fisterra to Litres (9 miles, 14km), As Eiras.
Friday 6: Litres to Muxia (9 miles, 15km) and a day exploring the port and lighthouse.
Saturday 7: Bus back to Santiago and St Martin's Pinario, tomorrow I fly to London Stansted, England.
Slideshow of the Camino de Santiago again.

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