Spain: Camino de Santiago

Art on the Camino, Hospital de Orbigo

Thursday 20 June 2013: Following a night at Pension Madrid in the Spanish north-coast port of Santander I take Alsa's 9:30 bus east, along the coast, to San Sebastian for the 12:30 south to Pamplona and the daily 14:00 bus east across the border to St Jean Pied de Port in France. St Jean is the popular starting point for the 500 mile (800km) Camino Frances pilgrimage walk to the cathedral city of Santiago de Compostella in the north-west Atlantic coast corner of Spain. Feeling the need to get fit I'm going to walk the whole route at pace. The downside is that I'm unlikely to make many friends, I'll be walking too fast for most especially in the latter stages.
Friday 21 (day 1): St Jean to Roscesvalles (16 miles, 25km) up and over the Pyrenees and back across the frontier into Spain and down to the monastic refuge at Roscesvalles.
Saturday 22 (day 2): Roscesvalles to Zubiri (14 miles, 22km), Municipal Albergue in riverside village.
Sunday 23 (day 3): Zubiri to Cizur Menor (17 miles, 26km), friendly Albergue de Maribel with a little suntrap garden.
Monday 24 (day 4): Cizur Menor to Cirauqui (16 miles, 26km), Maralotx Albergue in pretty village with great food and local red wine served in wine cellar dining room.
Tuesday 25 (day 5): Cirauqui to Monjardin (15 miles, 24km), Albergue Peregrinos with beds rather than bunk-beds.
Wednesday 26 (day 6): Monjardin to Viana (18 miles, 29km), Albergue Izar B&B.
Thursday 27 (day 7): Viana to Naverette (14 miles, 23km), El Contaro Hotel en-suite.
Friday 28 (day 8): Naverette to Azorfa (15 miles, 24km), Municipal Albergue.
Saturday 29 (day 9): Azorfa to Calzada (10 miles, 15km), Municipal Albergue.
Sunday 30 (day 10): Calzada to Belorada (14 miles, 27km), Cuatro Cantones.
Monday 1 July (day 11): Belorada to Ages (17 miles, 28km), San Rafael Albergue with mats on the breezy attic floor.
Tuesday 2 (day 12): Ages to Rabe de las Calzados (22 miles, 35km), Liberanos Domine.
Wednesday 3 (day 13): Rabe to Castrojerez (18 miles, 26km), Meson Hostal en-suite.
Thursday 4 (day 14): Castrojerez to Boadilla del Camino (16 miles, 26km), En El Camino Albergue.
Friday 5 (day 15): Boadilla to Carrion de las Condes (16 miles, 26km), Espiritu Santo Albergue with beds in large nunnery rooms.
Saturday 6 (day 16): Carrion to Terradillos (17 miles, 27km), Jacques de Molay.
Sunday 7 (day 17): Terradillos to Calzadilla de los Termanilos (16 miles, 26km), Municipal Albergue.
Monday 8 (day 18): Calzadilla to Mansilla de las Mulas (15 miles, 24km), El Jardin del Camino, dinner, B&B with beds and swimming pool.
Tuesday 9 July (day 19): Mansilla to La Virgen (17 miles, 26km), Antonia Cinia Albergue, bought new backpack in Leonen-route.
Wednesday 10 (day 20): La Virgen to Hospital de Orbigo (18 miles, 28km), Albergue San miguel B&B with little integral art gallery.
Thursday 11 (day 21): Hospital de Orbigo to Rabinal del Camino (23 miles, 28km), Albergue Gaucelmo B&B run by the Confraternity of St James, Southwark, London, with afternoon tea, very civilised.
Friday 12 (day 22): Rabinal to Pieros (32 miles, 50km), El Serbal y La Luna B&B, long day.
Saturday 13 (day 23): Pieros to O'cebreiro (22 miles, 35km), Municipal Albergue.
Sunday 14 (day 24): O'cebreiro to Sarria (24 miles, 39km), A Pedra.
Monday 15 (day 25): Sarria to Ferrerios (9 miles, 14km), Casa Cruceiro Albergue, painful foot forced a short day.
Tuesday 16 (day 26): Ferrerios to Ventas de Naron (13 miles, 22km), O'Cruceiro Albergue.
Wednesday 17 (day 27): Ventas to Melide (17 miles, 27km), Pereiro Albergue.
Thursday 18 (day 28): Melide to Arca (20 miles, 33km), Pension Bar Compas en-suite with massage shower, luxury.
Friday 19 (day 29): Arca to Santiago de Compostella (12 miles, 20km), Hospedaje de Santa Cruz en-suite. Now I feel fit!
Saturday 20: Renfe train (9:59-15:10) to Leon, San Francisco Albergue.
Sunday 21: Alsa bus (15:30-19:00) to Santander.
Monday 22: Shuttle bus to Santander airport for flight back to Rome.
Slideshow of the Camino de Santiago.