Frómista to Carrión de los Condes
We decided to sleep in this morning until 7:00 am. We had breakfast in the hotel and did not start the Camino until 8:25. It was a shorter day of only 12 miles and the weather was not going to be warm, so we decided to take a chance. It was a good decision. It was a fairly easy hike.
After about five miles, we stopped in a village called Villarmentero and took a break. It had a cool, grassy area with tables and chairs scattered beneath shade trees. There were also some funky statues that added to the ambience. There were chickens, roosters, a dog, and two geese running around freely. At one point I decided to use the restroom and noticed the geese were standing by the entrance. I told Jim I would wait since geese kind of scare me. He said, “You need to be the alpha. Don’t look directly at the geese and just walk into the bathroom. They will get out of your way.” “Ok,” I said as I confidently strode toward the bathroom. As I approached, one of the geese hissed and started moving toward me. I screamed like a little girl and ran in the opposite direction. The two geese honked in unison and started chasing me. With the commotion, the dog started barking and running toward me. I told him, “I’m not scared of you and pet his head. He rolled over on his back and I asked, “Who’s the alpha now?” The geese backed off.
Although the walk was only 12 miles, it followed along a road for the entire length. Because of that, today’s trip was not exactly scenic and was a little boring. The duration was only three hours and 35 minutes, so it was bearable.
We have noticed that a lot of pilgrims use hiking poles to assist them on the Camino. Jim and I each brought one and we used them during the steep downhill on day one. Typically we have it in our pack at the ready. One of our observations is that a lot of folks are now carrying their poles - I assume because the Camino is relatively flat within the Meseta. I just wonder since they are not using them, why not pack them away?
We made it to our destination, Carrion des los Condes and checked into our hotel. After drinking a lot wine yesterday with our Canadian friend, all three of us decided lay off the wine today. I think I’ll go have a beer. Tomorrow we head to Calzadilla de la Cueza.
0 Comments
Castrojeriz to Frómista
We left our hotel in Castrojeriz at 7:00 am, and after about 15 minutes, we began to gain elevation. There is a hill right outside the village and the Camino goes right up it. The incline didn’t last very long and since it was still dark out, the temperature was cool. There were a bunch of people at the top of the hill waiting for the sun to rise. We decided to continue forward so that we weren’t walking with the pack once the sun rose.
That which goes up must come down, so we had a steep decline and the trail transitioned to wheat fields. Since our stay in Logrono, we have walked through a lot of wheat fields. Because they have been harvested, they just looked just like dry grass. After a while we came across a pretty river lined with trees, and there was a stone bridge we crossed to continue the Camino. After the bridge we entered a village called Itero del la Vega. We had breakfast, but it was a little dicey. Our eggs were served with some strange meat that resembled Canadian bacon but had this orange stuff on the outside, and it tasted like it had been pickled. It was no bueno.
We came across another small town called Boadilla. Because it’s Sunday we saw lots of people leaving mass at a smaller stone cathedral, and as we passed them they wished us a “Buen Camino.” I have not talked much about this common greeting. Pilgrims say it to each other on the Camino and locals say it to us as we pass them. It essentially means, “good journey.” I’ve done some reflecting on this, and it reminds me of something Rick Steves said when we saw him in San Francisco a couple of years ago. He mentioned that often we will say to a friend, “safe travels.” He mentioned that implies there is some fear or danger that one must circumvent when traveling. He prefers positive statements like, “have an amazing trip.” During these times I think it is completely appropriate to wish someone “safe travels,” but I do love the meaning behind the common greeting here: “Buen Camino.” As it was getting warm, we were pleased that the Camino became tree lined as we walked in the shade along the Canal de Castilla. After walking this for about a mile, we came across what used to be locks that allowed boats to navigate deep into the Meseta, the area of Spain through which we have recently been walking. Within ten minutes we were in a our final destination for the day, Frómista. And now we are checked into our hotel, we had some lunch, and lucky for us our new Canadian friend is staying in the same hotel. Jim just went off to purchase some wine, and we are about to hang out on the patio and share tall tales (and maybe talk some politics). Tomorrow we head to Carrion de Los Condes. Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz
We spent the afternoon yesterday drinking wine and talking U.S. politics with a new friend from Canada. A couple of years ago we hiked the Grand Canyon with a small group of people. One of those guys was Canadian and he closely followed U.S. politics as well. These two guys knew more about our politics than most of the people in the U.S. that I know. It’s great to hear their perspective and it’s nice that we could share our views without anyone getting offended. We hope to see our new friend as we journey forth.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, our hotel was outside the village of Hornillos. Yesterday, we called the hotel and got a ride from the Camino to the hotel. As we were getting ready to leave the hotel this morning, our new Canadian friend told us we just missed the van bringing pilgrims to the Camino. Of course we could wait, by what’s two more miles when you are already hiking 12? So with our headlamps on, we walked back to the Camino and then walked the planned 12.43 miles. Overall we walked 14.1 miles and our moving time was four hours and 27 minutes. After 8.4 miles we came to our first village, Hontanas. There were a couple of people seated at tables, but other than that, it was pretty easy empty. We stopped and had some coffee and eggs. When we left, the place was packed! Pilgrims love to take a breakfast break!
Further along the Camino, we came across the ruins of what looked like an old Cathedral. It was actually the San Anton Monastery and hospital. The ruins date to the 14th century. Pilgrims would shelter under the roof that connected the arches that now cover the Camino. The Order of San Antón disbanded in 1787. What I love about this site is that it speaks to the legacy of the Camino and how long pilgrims have journeyed along The Way to Santiago.
Once we got to our destination, Castrojeriz, we stopped for a beer. A big beer.
We have walked 210 official miles of the Camino and the percent complete is 43%. Tomorrow we head to Fromista. Burgos to Hornillos del Camino
We left our hotel at 7:00 am and walked through the city of Burgos for about two miles. We missed a turn and probably added about a half a mile to the hike - no worries. After leaving the city we walked through a rural area across a number of roads either over bridges or using underpasses. We also passed under some train tracks.
We stopped for breakfast in Tardajos. The cafe was pretty busy with pilgrims. There were about seven or eight police officers with guns that were stopping cars in both directions in front of the café. We were not exactly sure what it was they were looking for, but they also stopped a couple groups of pilgrims who jaywalked across the street to the cafe. “Uhm - there’s a police officer with a gun, and you jaywalked? In front of him?” The police officer nicely said a few words in Spanish and pointed at the crosswalk. Jim and I are well trained and used the crosswalk without being asked. Overall we walked 13.5 miles to Hornillos. We met a new friend on the trail from Minneapolis and walked with her the last few few miles. We had a great chat about our backgrounds (she’s a Methodist) and our experiences with the Camino (she was filling a gap between Burgos and Leon which was a missed portion of a Camino trip in 2017). Quite a few times on this trip we have been asked if we are brothers, or how we know each other, or how it is we traveled to Spain to hike together. We have been honest and explained we are life partners who have been together for 34 years. So far we have had great experiences. Our hotel is 2 1/2 km from Hornillos and they have a service where they pick you up by car. We called the hotel and with my bad Spanish tried to explain we were to check in and needed a ride. It worked. It was the first time we have been in a car in three weeks. Tomorrow we head to Castrojeriz. BurgosWe had a day off! We were grateful that we got to sleep in and see Burgos at our leisure. Reflecting on the trip thus far, we realized that getting at least seven hours of sleep (if not more) every night is definitely needed in order to repair from walking 15 miles a day. Having a day off periodically helps as well. We saw a few friends we’ve met along the Camino, and they all were taking today off. Another thing that has been reinforced for me is that I require caffeine before starting out each morning. Because we leave early, coffee is not always available at the hotel and cafes are not yet open. I brought instant coffee and caffeinated gummies that I eat if needed. Jim finds I am more pleasant when I satisfy this basic need. After a good night’s rest, we had breakfast in the hotel this morning and then headed out do some laundry. And yes, we had a couple of beers while we waited. We also had the opportunity to visit the cathedral here in Burgos. It is breathtakingly beautiful. But as one of our new friends noted, it’s more like walking through a museum instead of entering a house of worship. There were no pews in the main sanctuary, and nowhere to silently reflect or say a prayer. But it is truly world-class cathedral (and museum). When one completes the Camino, one of the take-aways is a Compostela, a document that certifies that a pilgrim completed the Camino. This accreditation was created in the 9th and 10th centuries when the pilgrimage to St. James’ tomb was given official status. One of the requirements to get the Compostela is that pilgrims must be able to show the distance covered. This is done using the Pilgrim’s credential (or passport). Each day, we must obtain at least two stamps in the credential. They can be obtained at a hotel, restaurant, bar, church, etc. We have been dutifully collecting our stamps and realized that we will be running out of space in the next few days. One of the tasks today was to obtain a new credential. We tried the cathedral, but they did not have them. We checked online and there is a large albergue where they are available. An albergue is low cost, shared lodging where guests rents beds - kind of like a hostel. One of the downsides of an albergue is that you are sleeping potentially with up to 100 people in a room and snoring is an issue. We have not stayed in one as this 60 year need some privacy and a bit more comfort. But they also provide services like meals and obtaining credentials. Since we got a new one today, we can collect stamps for another 20 days.
We had a late lunch/early dinner and will be heading to bed early. Tomorrow we head to Hornillos del Camino. San Juan de Ortega to Burgos
It promised to be much cooler today, so we slept in until 6:00 am and left the hotel at 6:50 am. We hiked a bit in the dark with our headlamps on, but once the sun rose, it was it was spectacular!
We stopped at the first village called Ages. We had some coffee. I had a piece of carrot cake and Jim had a croissant. We passed a family on the trail early on. We have seen them over the last couple of days. There is a a mom, dad, and two sons probably around 10 and 12 years old. It’s really cool that families walk the Camino together. The boys seem to be really into it.
The temperature never got above 70°, so we were not in a hurry to get to Burgos. We took our time and enjoyed the Camino experience. With a little bit of elevation we could see Burgos in the distance. It didn’t look very far away, but Jim’s GPS said it was 10 miles. It was a little surprising to us as it seemed much closer. Once we approached the outskirts of the city we understood that it was not a mirage. We still had about five miles to go to the city center and where our hotel was. Burgos is a pretty big town and the architecture is beautiful. I’m glad we have a layover day tomorrow to explore. There is a gorgeous Cathedral that I am looking forward to seeing. Our hike today was 16.4 miles and took us five hours to complete. Belorado to San Juan de Ortega
We left our hotel at 6:40 AM. The hotel had given us a picnic lunch since we would not be staying for breakfast. It included a sandwich, fruit, Oreos, and water. Nice! We wore our headlamps as we left Belorado as it was still dark outside. We walked through the city and there were a couple of peregrinos already on the Camino.
The morning was foggy which came as a surprise as the temperature was expected to reach 90 degrees today. We walked through a couple of small villages, but there was no place to stop for breakfast and coffee. At the third village, Villafranca Montes de Oca, we stopped and had coffee and a tortilla. It wasn’t the best tortilla we’ve had, but we ate it. As we left the village we started a pretty significant incline. I had not really read about what the day would entail, so it was a little surprising. We continued to climb and the landscape changed from wheat fields to a forest of pine and oak with ferns lining the trail. Once we reached the peak elevation, the trail flattened and the skies cleared. It was lovely, but there were a lot of flies that would not stop pestering us. We were hiking through the Oca Hills. During the medieval period, this area was known to be a dangerous route rife with thieves and ne’er-do-wells. Legend credits San Juan de Ortega (whose today’s town was named after) for clearing the path and making it safer to travel this piece of the Camino. He was a disciple of San Domingo (the guy who founded the town from a couple of days a go - the village with the German boy and chickens). See how this all fits together? Cool. In the U.S. there is this notion of “trail angels,” who are folks that support hikers by providing food or anything else they might need. While walking through the forest, we came across the Camino version of trail angels. They were handing out slices of watermelon to each pilgrim passing by. Boy, was it delicious and appreciated! Our hike today was 15.1 miles and it took us four hours and 52 minutes to complete. With the climb after breakfast, our elevation gain was 1,342 feet. As this small village basically just serves pilgrims and has very few residents, dinner tonight starts at 7:00 pm. Hopefully we can get to bed early and get eight hours of sleep! Tomorrow we head to Burgos and then have a much anticipated day of rest. Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado
We stayed in a private room in hostel last night in Santo Domingo de la Cazada and it was run by a guy who was a perfect host. He spoke very little English and my Spanish is really spotty, but he made us feel very welcomed. Our room was small and the air-conditioning didn’t work, but the dinner they made was so good. We believe his wife made the meals in their small kitchen in the back. They started off with a cold tomato soup called Salmorejo. It’s a little like gazpacho, but thicker and creamier and it’s served with Iberico Ham and boiled egg. Jim had Pollo en su Jugo and I had a type beef stew. They were delicious and probably one of the best meals we’ve had in Spain. When we get home I’d like to re-create the chicken and Salmorejo recipes. Who is up for a homemade Spanish meal?
We left our hotel around 6:40 am. It was going to be hot day, so we skipped breakfast and hit the road. One of the things I love best about starting the Camino in the dark is getting to watch the sunrise. After about an hour and 20 minutes, we stopped for breakfast in Grañon. In the pictures you can see where we stopped. It was essentially a food truck, but there were wooden tables and chairs out on tree covered grass, and classical piano music played in the background. It was very civilized, and the food hit the spot. Although there were four additional villages we passed today, none of them had a proper place to have a beer. Since it was getting warm, it made sense to keep moving anyway. Overall, we hiked 14 miles in four hours and 26 minutes. It was a relatively flat hike with the ascent being only 767 feet. We are seeing more people walking the Camino because other trails are converging together. We are also seeing folks more than once so it is fun to strike up a conversation, find out where they are from, and a little about their journey. We are in Belorado which is another small village, however today there are vendors out in the square selling clothing, food, and nicknacks. Because of that, there are a lot of people walking around and drinking in the cafes. We had some lunch and walked around. There are a lot of murals painted on buildings which cool and gives the town an artsy feel. Tomorrow we head to San Juan de Ortega. Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Before I talk about today’s Camino leg, I would like to share a bit about our evening last night in Najera. We had dinner at the restaurant that was included with our hotel stay. It has been pretty common - we stay at a hotel and we go to a nearby restaurant for dinner. They have been pretty hit or miss and last night’s was a definite miss.
When we left dinner, Najera had changed. It had been a quiet town with near empty streets, and when we left the restaurant, Nareja was alive and filled with energy! Where there were shuttered store fronts, there were now night clubs with flashing lights and thumping dance music. It seemed that the entire village filled the streets: old, young, and in between. We had noticed that at 7:45 pm the bells of the city clanged and we think that was giving everyone the go ahead to let the party begin. I don’t think the down time in the afternoon in Spain is a siesta. I think its a disco nap. This morning we left our hotel at 7:05 am. Breakfast at the hotel was to start at 7:30, but we wanted to hit the road as the high of the day would be 88 Fahrenheit. Today’s leg of the Camino was 13.7 miles, had an elevation gain of 1,027 feet, and took four hours and 19 minutes to complete. For whatever reason, we shared the Camino this morning with a few cars. This section was essentially a dirt road. One of the cars passing by swerved toward a pilgrim, quickly corrected, and continued forward. The young occupants enjoyed the frightened look on the pilgrim’s face as they drove off laughing. I don’t get it, but maybe they were still partying from the night before. We also heard distant gunfire. We believe it might be hunting season since we also saw guys dressed in hunting gear with dogs. None of them were wearing orange, but maybe that’s just a U.S. thing. But it’s also not unusual to hike in California during hunting season and hear gunfire. We’re pretty used to it.
We made it today’s destination, Santo Domingo de la Cazada. The name refers to its founder, Dominic de la Cazada, who in the 11th century, built a bridge, hospital, and hotel here for the pilgrims along the Camino. He also began construction of the town's Cathederal and is buried here. We had the opportunity to visit the Cathedral, and have posted some pictures below.
Ready for a cool story? One of the miracles that occurred here happened to a young German boy who was on a pilgrimage with his family. He was wrongly accused of theft and was hanged. His heartbroken parents continued to Santiago where they prayed for their son. On their way home they visited the gallows and found their son alive. They told the local sheriff about the miracle. The sheriff, who was roasting two chickens for dinner, scoffed and said, ‘He’s as alive as these chickens I’m roasting.’ At that moment the chickens jumped off the spit and ran down the street. The sheriff rushed to the gallows, pardoned the boy, and the boy returned home with this family. There are a lot of representations of chickens in the Cathedral. There are actually two live chickens that are displayed there! They are supposedly the descendants of the original two from the story. Tomorrow we head to Belorado. Logroño to Nájera
As today promised to be an 18 mile day with temperatures in the mid 80s, we got an early start and left our hotel shortly before 6:00 am. There were a lot of young people out. You could tell they were still out from the night rather than having just gotten up for the day. One guy said, “Buenos noches,” although clearly it was morning. The Spanish know how to party! Once we got out of Old Town, the streets were fairly empty.
Today’s leg was 18.7 miles in length, had a 1,095 elevation gain, and took almost six hours to complete. We have learned that these types of distances can be pretty taxing and that if we leave the hotel early, it provides us with flexibility to take breaks along the way and still get to our destination before the heat of the day. After two and half hours and walking eight miles, we stopped in a small village called Navarrette for breakfast. We had eggs and bacon with two coffee Americanos. There were only a few hikers that passed by. I think most people get later starts than we do. We stopped around 10:15 am and got a beer and filled our water bottles. Most folks seated at the cafe were having coffee. Jim said the guy behind the counter gave him the side eye as he was ordering beer. As we were leaving we met a guy from Virginia. We told him we were from California, and he offered his condolences. I was thinking, “Dude, you’re from Virginia. You should talk.” This is his fourth time walking the Camino. He had done the Portuguese Way previously. At 140 miles, it’s a lot shorter the Camino Frances at 500 miles. Parts of today’s leg were quite lovely. Outside of Logroño we passed through a beautiful nature area. It included a lake and in the distance we could hear a family of ducks quaking. We also passed multiple vineyards with vines planted in red, rocky soil. In a previous post I talked about how I entertain myself when walking 15 to 18 miles a day. Here is today’s entry:
Tomorrow we head to Santo Domingo. Tomorrow’s leg is only 13 miles!
Total Camino Mileage to Date: 122.7 |
AuthorsGreg and James live in Pleasanton in Northern California and are on a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago in Spain. Their adventures are captured in this blog. Archives
October 2021
Categories |