Daily Camino Log

Today was relatively short (as planned) and straight up (or so it felt). Kudos to Pastor Kurt for suggesting I train on Dump Road; today’s walk was steep (“but I’ve trained for this” which has become my mantra). I still have another 18k tomorrow before I can pat myself on the back for conquering the …

I expected today to be the most challenging over my 16 day Camino. While we had half of the 1200 meter elevation under our belts on the first day, today involved the remaining 600 meters elevation plus the descent into Roncesvalles.   We left at 8 which was sunrise and up we went. There is …

I love getting an early start to the walking day as I did when training at home. Here in Spain the sun is now rising at 8am so that means a head lamp is necessary for the first hour or so when leaving before 7am as we did today. We took a quick obligatory photo …

So spending Saturday night in Pamplona wasn’t intentional, but wow, what luck. This town is pulsing with excitement and it is thrilling to be in the middle of it. But wait, you have to hear about my day first! I think I have found my morning Camino groove. I get up around 6 and get …

Today kicked my butt! Toughest stage yet, but a real milestone. After walking out of Pamplona, our next big landmark was the Perigrino Sculpture at the top of the mountain range we had to cross. It is iconic and I was washed over with emotions when I got there. Prior to staring the assent there …

Yesterday was toughest; perhaps the toughest. The walk out of Pamplona, the biggest city on the Camino, was quiet since it was early Sunday morning. I left with three others who were staying at the same alburgue and other pilgrims were walking at well. Soon we could see the ridge of windmills and it was …

Today was humbling, but wonderful, all at the same time. I was up and would have been out on the Camino by 7, but the girls I was sharing a room with were getting a good nights sleep so I laid there writing part 2 of my entry about the Pamplona to Puenta la Reina …

I started out today with the plan to walk just 8k to Estella, but decided when I arrived in the town that I would go farther to Villa Mayor de Monjardin. Because I had shortened my walk yesterday, I was now “off stage.” In other words, I wasn’t traveling with the masses of pilgrims who …

Glorious! That was today in a word. If I had more words to describe it I would add that it was hot and quiet and beautiful and peaceful and HOT! I started feeling like I was getting a cold last night and luckily I had brought a small supply of cold medication that would tide …

Today was a day of reunions! I have not and probably will not catch up to the folks who powered ahead of me the day I had to call it a short day in Lorca, but there was another group of my original Camino family that was behind me because they took an extra day …

I should have mentioned in yesterday’s post that it was a day late because of the technical issue I was working on solving with Ray. And, maybe it had a little to do with the abundance of Tapas restaurants and the fact that we are now in Rioja! But, yesterday, before I went Tapas hunting …

I will be hitting a milestone of over 200 kilometers walked at some point tomorrow. It is helpful to see this number because the daily increments seem pretty small when we are used to hoping into our car and driving somewhere. For example, the other day I made a mistake of looking up my day’s …

Today was short walking day because I had a date with the Parador in Santo Domingo. Paradors are run by the country of Spain and are an innovative way to preserve historical landmarks such as churches, castles and monasteries (which was the history of the one I had reserved a room). Many pilgrim accounts I …

I slept horribly last night in the posh Parador. Not because I was having guilt pangs. I was in serious pain due to a tripping incident in the lobby after I talked with Ray. On the floor there was a transition from wood to concrete and the two materials were flush on the left side …

Today was a short one, but I wanted to set myself up for a steep and long climb tomorrow. One guidebook warns to bring water and food since the ascent can take 3 hours at a normal pace. I think I will plan on 4. Then from what I understand, it will be a race …

My plan today was to get an early start so that I could get to my destination of Atapuerca by the time the Alburgues opened and started giving out beds. Typically that is 2pm. I knew from reports of friends who passed through yesterday that there are limited beds and they filled up quickly. When …

Today probably wasn’t the best for starting out before dawn. It was pitch black when I left at 6am and there was still nearly 2 1/2 hours before sunrise. The Camino took me out of the village and up a hill with a questionable path. A couple of speedy walkers passed me and while I …

The planets were aligned last night. Although my plane from Barcelona to Boston arrived at 6:32, 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival, I managed to get through passport control, claim my checked bag and go through customs and border control and boarded the Dartmouth Coach at 7:03. This was great because the next and last …

Today felt easy peasy. In fact, I am happy that I had a reservation in Hornillos or I may have been tempted to go on to Hontanos, another 11km from here. I am what they call a “fresh pilgrim,” one who just joined the Camino. You can tell by my clean clothes, a little lift …

So this was another easy day. The sun was shining, temps were ideal, not too many people on the Camino, but I wasn’t alone, no trips or falls, and I am still “fresh.” Of course, any change in just one variable for the day could have turned a perfect walk into pure misery. But that …

So, I surrender. Dorm style living is not for me. For two nights in a row I have been awake most of the night listening to people toss and turn, snore, fart and come and go to the bathroom. I am a sound sleeper, but not when there are 10 to 20 other people in …

I slept last night!! All through the night. It was glorious and I felt refreshed this morning. No more dorm-style overnights for this princess pilgrim! Today felt fairly short, probably because there was a village every 5km or so. I started in the dark at 7 and navigated my way out of Fromista. It was …

I was excited to see this marker as I left Carrion de la Condes today! Leaving Burgos on Wednesday I saw a similar marker. I have now walked over 100km on Camino 2.0! Carrion de los Condes is a really nice town. As Camino villages go, it is on the large size but nothing I …

Today was a first for me on the Camino. I didn’t walk the full distance today. The last 8km were by taxi. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice. The morning started as all mornings do. I stretched and that eased the pain in my back. This made me feel better …

Today I holed up in Sahagun recovering from who knows what I have. I am thinking a kidney infection plus maybe something gastrointestinal, but I am not sure. I feel much much better. The chills and aches are gone as is the back pain. But the other, less pleasant symptoms linger on. It could be …

Today I took a bus from Sahagun to where I should have stayed last night had I not gotten sick. I then walked from El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas. I am back on track! It turns out the bus system is a major transporter of pilgrims along the Camino from what I …

Today was all around great. As my Alberta friend Kari said as we walked the last few kilometers into León together, for those of use who started in Burgos, today is roughly our first third point. That alone is something worth celebrating. I tried to get a 7:30am start but realized I left something in …

It is always exciting to go into a big city on the Camino, but the downside is the entry and exit into and out of the city. Typically they are in unattractive outskirts and Leon was no exception. As I was leaving the city, I saw few pilgrims and was on my own navigating my …

Today was a planned short day and tomorrow will be short as well. I wanted to spend a night in Astorga and to do that I could either walk 30km in one day or break it up into two short days. I chose the later because I know that after a 30km day, I wouldn’t …

As of today, I have officially graduated from the Meseta! Many people complain that the Meseta is boring and often will skip it all together. I don’t feel that way. It was really beautiful, expansive countryside. I am sure that more than other sections of the Camino Francés, it takes on a completely different personality …

Today was my longest walk so far on the Camino, and it included a nearly 2000’ climb, a good chunk at the end of the day. As a reference point for my Mad River Valley friends, from the Mad River Glen basebox to General Stark’s Peak is 2036 vertical feet. This walk felt easier than …

Today was a HARD 20 kilometers! It reminded me that not all 20k are the same. The first part of the day was the rest of the climb to the tallest point on the Camino and it was all downhill from there! I mean steep, loose rock, challenging downhill. But of course, it was great. …

Every day is different on the Camino and today I was all about embracing the differences; starting with breakfast and ending with dinner. I started the morning with breakfast at the amazing Brazilian Hostel I stayed at last night. I don’t always take advantage of the cheap breakfasts offered where I am staying, but I …

Today was the toughest yet for me. No more Easy Peasy. I suspect it started to go wrong when I spent most of the night in the bathroom. I pride myself in having an iron stomach, but not in Spain this time. So I was starting a long day on very little sleep. Over the …

What a difference a day makes!  Today was amazing from beginning to end! While I am claiming credit for 11 kilometers, the reality is that I walked 3 of those kilometers and Paula did the rest; she was my horse! I walked the 3 kilometers to where I would meet up with the horse guy, …

It was tough leaving O Cebreiro. It is a special place and probably one of my favorite on the Camino. It was beautiful weather when I was there and still, when I woke up this morning the wind was howling and it just felt raw when I went outside. It is the first morning I …

I woke up and little before 6am today and I could hear the wind howling outside. Thinking it wasn’t as bad as it sounds, I poked my head out the front door of Casa Olga and quickly shut it. “I am screwed,” I thought. I was convinced the gale force winds were going to grab …

It was another day of rain, but luckily it was fairly warm and it wasn’t windy so the walk wasn’t bad at all. It was on the longer side for me as will be the next two days in order to get into Santiago de Compostela on Friday. Can you believe I said that?  I …

I was so excited to start the day again with a hearty breakfast!  The pension where I stayed had limited breakfast options and while I appreciated their efforts, I was looking for more protein than was on their buffet. So, I packed up and headed out and stopped at the first bar that was open. …

I woke up this morning to rain and the forecast wasn’t promising. I am done being afraid of the rain and now and just sick and tired of it. I walked the entire day in rain that ranged from a drizzle to a downpour. At times the wind picked up to add to the excitement. …

I can’t believe this is my last night on the Camino. Tomorrow I will walk 20 kilometers and arrive in Santiago de Compostela. This is a pretty special night and while I planned to spend it alone writing my blog, I ended up reconnecting with lots of people and have a really nice evening. I …

My plan for the final day of walking to Santiago de Compostela was to be out the door by 7 and stop somewhere in town for coffee and some breakfast before getting on my way. I knew the 20 kilometers would take me between 5-6 hours and I wanted to arrived by early afternoon. Alas, …

I “slept in” on Saturday morning until 7:30. It was glorious. At this point sunrise isn’t until nearly 9am so it is easy to stay in bed since it is so dark!  Plus, I could hear the rain and wasn’t looking forward to another wet day. But, at least I wouldn’t be walking in the …

I started the day with another morning shower! Then I got packed up and headed down for breakfast. You jus never know what you are going to get with your overnight accommodations. This morning I was pleasantly surprised! The place is run by an older couple and their adult son. They sat me down in …

I wasn’t really in a rush this morning because I only had 14km to Lires and I assumed it was fairly flat. My plan was to check out the fishing museum that I learned about after reading up on the Castile San Carlos. I discovered it is now a museum about fishing which normally wouldn’t …

This is my last day walking! I will be savoring every step of the 15 kilometers. I had breakfast and started walking around 10 and immediately started seeing pilgrims going the other way; from Muxia (pronounced as a good Galician “Galeetheean” would do, you would say “Mutheea”) to Fisterra. It feels like that is the …