Day 21, León to Madrid to Stockholm and Gävle

So, today is my last day on the Camino this time. I didn't sleep well, mainly because of some snorers in our room. I  woke at 05.00, before the alarm went off, but didn't get up until 05.30. Most of my things were already packed, so I was soon ready for the simple donativo breakfast. The hospitalero called me a taxi and all that was left for me to do was to say goodbye to Jay, Stella and Audrey.

6 am goodbye

The train to Madrid was very fast, 300 km (~180 miles) per hour. León to Madrid took two hours. In fact I had to ask two Spanish ladies if we were in Madrid already, since we arrived ten minutes early. Leaving the train they asked if I was going to the airport, and told me how to get there, very nice. In fact, I think everybody I've met in Spain have been very friendly. The Madrid Metro seems to be quite easy to use, or perhaps I was lucky, but I was soon at the airport.

The airport was trickier, especially since I had neither printed nor downloaded my ticket. Once I was able to connect to the WiFi that problem was soon solved and I could check in. Since the train and metro transfer were so fast I had lots of time, but the Barajas airport is large and confusing, and I was glad to have the extra time. I checked out all the tax-free shops, but everything seemed quite expensive, so I just got some chocolate that I finished while waiting to board the plane. Boarding took a very long time and we left ten minutes delayed.

Flying Norwegian Air

Leaving Spain - but I'll be back!

 From Stockholm I took the train to Gävle. My sister was on the train already, traveling from Stockholm. We arrived to late to visit my dad, but went to the hospital next morning. Dad was very tired, slipping in and out of consiousness. Two weeks later he passed away in his sleep at night.

My camino didn't end the way I had planned or anticipated this time, but the camino is but a small part of Life, our real Camino.

In loving memory of my very much beloved father

Day 20, Mansilla de las Mulas to León, Tuesday

Today when we woke up Stella had bitemarks on her arm. We think they are from a spider, but aren't sure.

This morning we all took the bus from Mansilla to León. This is probably the worst leg, almost all blacktop on the curb of a major road leading to the city. The bus station is right next to the train station, so we started with buing train tickets, from Madrid to Astorga for Audrey's brother Johnny, who is arriving on Thursday, and from León to Madrid for me. My blister is in a very awkward place, and it is impossible for me to walk. Also, my dad is in the hospital and I feel that if I can't walk I may as well go home.

Anyway, our plan was to start with breakfast, but we decided to find a place for the night first. To check in we had to wait until 11.00, and when they opened they wanted to treat Stella's gear for bed bugs. This was probably a very good idea, but it took a long time. First, everything plastic was put in a black bag. Then everything that could be washed was sprayed and put in another black bag. Stella had to take a shower and use Audrey's clothes, so that they could spray what she'd been wearing that morning as well. And now we could finally go for a very late breakfast!

The old part of León is very nice. The Cathedral is fantastic and there are lots of other old buildings, narrow streets and small plazas. We had a great lunch at the Las Termas restaurant. After lunch we walked around, sometimes together and sometimes alone. And all the time we met other people we'd met earlier. It was truly a perfect last day of the Camino. At 21.30/9.30 pm there was a short evening  prayer, including prayers for the pilgrims in the monastery church, together with the nuns. This was very special, and I felt very sure of my decision to go back home.

Day 19, El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas, Monday

5,6 km, 7200 steps, 0 floors, still 1 blister 

Second breakfast, waiting for the bus to Mansilla de las Mulas.

This morning I decided to take very good care of my blister.  I want to make sure that I'm able to walk the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. Today I took the bus the whole way to Mansilla de las Mulas, and the only walking I do is here in town. Tomorrow we will all take the bus to León, have a nice day, and then continue to Virgen del Camino, where we'll stay the night.

Last night as we went to bed the room was quite nice and warm, but during the night it got cold. When we got up it was even colder. People kept leaving the front door open. And there was no toilet paper. We left as soon as possible and had breakfast at El Peregrino,  where I waited for the bus
The bus left at 9.20 and arrived in Mansilla at 10.00. The albergue didn't open until 13.00, so I spent a few hours waiting in a bar (restaurant in Spain). As I was heading to the albergue I met Audrey, and we checked in. After a while Jay and Stella also arrived. The albergue Gaia is nice and cozy, only 18 beds, new and friendly. I washed and dried almost all my clothes, so now I don't have to think about laundry for a couple of days.

Four stork couples nesting, one on each side of the church steeple. 

Day 18, Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero, Sunday

12,2 km, 17400 steps, 5 floors, 1 blister

Last night we stayed at the Hostal Escarcha in Sahagún. We had two twin rooms with private bathrooms, maybe not the best rooms, but much better than most albergues. And there were towels, real towels! There was one problem, though. It was some kind of party place, so we didn't get much sleep.

After a late breakfast I took a taxi to Bercianos, and while the others walked from Sahagún, I only walked from Bercianos, very slowly. It was ok, the blister wasn't painful, but it was a bit irritating. I had to be careful to put my foot down in a way that didn't hurt.

When I reached the albergue I first found it good, but realized after a while that it was very cold. And when it started to pour it got even colder. So when the others arrived we went to a nice and warm restaurant, where we spent the whole evening eating good food and meeting nice people.

Day 17, Carrión de los Condes to Sahagún, Saturday

10.1 km, 13400 steps, 33 stairs  1 blister

Today I jumped out of bed at 5.45 at the sound of the fire alarm. Or so I thought. It turned out to be somebody's wake up ringtone on the phone. However, when I realized this I was already dressed and almost ready to go. And I wasn't even in a hurry today.

After breakfast at a cafe we went to a Panaderia (bakery) and got some nice bread and croissants for the day, and continued to San Zoilo monastery,  where we took a horse and carriage trip for part of the day, 15 km. On the way we were hailed by H, a German girl, who asked for a ride. Her feet were very badly blistered , and she could hardly walk. She couldn't even wear her boots anymore, and was trying to walk in flip flops.

In Calzadilla de la Cueza we were all having lunch, when a Mexican lady came up to us and asked if we wanted to share a taxi to Sahagún. Stella, H and I joined her, Jay and Audrey walked. In Sahagún we checked in at a small hotel, and then helped H to a Centro de Salud, a health center. We had reservations for two twin rooms for tonight, and invited H to join us. She was very tired, and fell asleep almost right away.

After another nice dinner (I had a very good pizza) we are now watching Madrid vs. Madrid soccer/football final on TV.

Day 16, Frómista to Carrión de los Condes, Friday

11,3 km,  8,3 steps, 13 floors, 1 blister

This morning I stayed in Frómista when the others left. I was taking a taxi to Carrión de los Condes with Lyn from Virginia. She has a bad knee, and I didn't want my blisters to get worse. The taxi was only € 25 for ~20 km, so € 12.50 for me. I really wanted to walk the beautiful riverwalk I found last time, but it wasn't to be. Maybe next time :-)

At the albergue I met Ruiz and Riley from Utah, and we talked until the others arrived. The albergue Espiritu Santa, The Holy Spirit, is a convent and the nuns also run an albergue.

Day 15, Thursday, Castrojeriz to Frómista

25 km,  33000 steps, 68 stairs, still two (now larger) blisters

The albergue Rosalía was great, apart from the snoring pilgrim in our room. But, they say life on the Camino is about suffering, so I guess we were good pilgrims last night.

After two days rest I felt great. Each step I took I felt the blisters, but it wasn't too bad.

Then, all of a sudden, with 6 km to go, it got very painful. I took the boot and socks off and had to re-tape it. It didn't help much,  but I could walk very slowly. After 1 km I came up to 3 Spaniards with very official looking cars. I asked if they could help me, and one of them drove me to the albergue. He even called someone to find the right place, he was very nice.

When I arrived at the albergue something was wrong with our reservation. I was just trying to explain that our hospitalero last night had made the reservation for us, when Audrey walked in. She had managed to make a reservation at the municipal albergue, so everything was great. The municipal albergue turned out to be next door to the restaurant where we were having dinner, so it made things easier for me.

After a very nice evening at the restaurant La Venta we returned to the albergue, where Stella rounded off the evening with teaching some American and Italian kids to dance.

Day 14, Burgos to Castrojeriz

11,5  km, 15500 steps, 34 stairs

Today we decided to take the bus. Audrey has a cold, and my feet aren't that great. So we spent the day in Burgos, just enjoying the town. Once more we had lunch at the Morito, this time with a new pilgrim friend, who turned out to be a great chef. She really enjoyed the food, and when the owner of the Morito found out, he sent us 2 huge plates with desserts!

At 17.30 the bus for Castrojeriz left, and it felt so strange to travel two days of walking in 50 minutes...

Due to a mistake at the albergue where we had reserved we ended up in a new albergue, the Rosalia. It is an old, newly renovated building, very nice. And no bunk beds :-D

Day 13, in Burgos

7,4  km,  10000 steps,  13 stairs

After a very long day yesterday I arrived in Burgos at 18.30. I decided to stay at Hotel Meson Del Cid (Because I'm Worth It) and had a great view of the Cathedral. This morning I worked on my blog, and hope I'll be able to keep it up from now on.

After a great buffet breakfast I checked out and walked over to tonight's albergue, the Divina Pastora, the Divine Shepherd. There was a long line already, and Jay, Stella and Audrey were there. They checked me in as well and, as far as I'm concerned, we got the best beds.

The day was spent in Burgos, with lunch at the Morito. We had sooo much to eat, and desserts as well, so we didn't even need dinner. Great day.

Day 11, Grañon to Villafranca Montes de Oca

30  km, 40600 steps, 151 stairs

Day 12, Villafranca Montes de Oca to Burgos

43  km, 57000steps, 106 stairs, 2 blisters

Day 10, Azofra to Grañon

23500 km, 31700 steps, 108 stairs

Day 7, Los Arcos to Logroño

31,8 km, 43000 steps,  146 stairs

Today's walk was sunny and hot. Some of the walk was close to roads, and the closer we got to Logroño the worse it got, but once you enter the town it is very nice. The Camino enters Logroño in the old town, and it is pretty. I soon found our albergue, the Entresueños. It one of those places that offer both albergue accommodation and simple hotel rooms. We were in a room with 10 or 12 beds.

For dinner we went to a restaurant called the Calenda. I liked the art nouveau look at the entrance, so we went inside. It was a very good restaurant and the food was great.

Day 6, Estella to Los Arcos

23 km, 33100 steps, 124 stairs

The albergue The Puente is very nice. I loved the view of the old church, and it is clean. The included breakfast was also ok.

Today there was a choice of two trails. I chose the scenic route, which runs through a forest, nice on a hot and sunny day. Many of my camino 'family' walked the same route, so there was always someone to talk to. I do like to walk alone and think a lot, though.

At the Albergue de la Fuente Casa de Austria we had a room to ourselves. It is an old building, very nice.

We had dinner at the town plaza/square, very nice and good food. Back at the albergue I did my laundry and went to hang it on the inner courtyard when I saw some people playing a Scrabble like game called Bananagram, very funny. They asked if I wanted to join,so I played for a while and went to bed a bit late, but slept well!

Day 9, Ventosa to Azofra

19  km, 25600 steps, 48 stairs

Day 8, Logroño to Ventosa

22,3 km, 30200 steps, 111 stairs

Very windy day! From my first camino I remembered the very boring exit from Logroño. 30 minutes on hard pavement along heavily trafficed streets. At the La Grajera park it got better for a while, until the the trail came back to the main road again. It didn't get better unil we turned for Ventosa. Ventosa is a quiet little town and the albergue was very nice, a great stop on the Camino.

Day 5, Puente la Reina to Estella

31 km, 41800 steps, 151 stairs

Just after we woke up this morning 8 men stopped by below our window and started singing. It was very beautiful. When they were done,  they walked down the street in a perfect circle, while singing.  Stella said they were praying.

After breakfast we started walking. We always split up and go at our own pace, and both Stella and I got very tired. A good part of the day we walked along a major road, but also across beautiful countryside and through pretty little towns.

We finally arrived in Estella, at the albergue Oncineda, not the best one. It is clean and breakfast great, but it is totally without charm. But the beds were nice and we had a good night's sleep.

Day 4, Cizur Menor to Puente la Reina

29,1 km, 39400 steps, 137 stairs

Today was a very long day. It started out cloudy, perfect for walking. Stella and I walked up to the Alto del Perdon, the Height of Forgiving, a very long hill! On the other side we went down even longer, and it was very slippery on the gravel. After the pass the sun came out and it turned into a lovely day. We continued to Uterga, where we had lunch. Stella wanted to wait for Jay and Audrey, and I walked on to the octagonal church of Eunate, an old Templars' church. Today was a romeria, a party, and I was offered different sodas, water, wine, bread, sausages and all kinds of things. After having seen the church I continued to Puente la Reina, where we have a beautiful view of the old church from our room.

Day 3, Zubiri to Cizur Menor

29 km, 39400 steps, 137 stairs

So, the albergue last night was nice, with two exceptions. First of all it was next to the church. The bells tolled every 15 minutes, and on the hour, twice. Second, the breakfast was very dry, rock hard toast. Nobody had much to eat. But when we slept, we slept well!

This morning we left at about 7.30. We passed a pilgrim's shop, where I bought two bracelets. It was cloudy and drizzled on and off, perfect weather for walking. Jay and Stella stopped to drink some water, and Audrey and I continued to walk. They never caught up to us, and we found out why later.

Stella and I sent our packs to our destination albergue today, which was great for my feet. I use voltaren salve every morning and evening and my feet still hurt, but so far they're better than last time. A lot better, actually!

When Audrey and I arrived in Pamplona we went to see the Cathedral, and then to the plaza for a snack. We then called Jay and Stella to see how they were doing. It turned out that Stella hurt her foot. Wo we managed to make reservations at the municipal albergue in Pamplona, but since Stella and I had our backpacks on Cizur Menor I decided to go there anyway.  In the end Stella and I decided to take a taxi, and jay and Audrey stayed in Pamplona to enjoy the feria, the Pentecost party with orchestras marching around the town and people everywhere. So, tomorrow Stella and I can take it easy, since we have 5 km headstart!

Day 2, Roncesvalles to Zubiri

27 km, 37000 steps, 112 stairs

The albergue in Roncesvalles is very nice, but also very big and noisy. I heard the toilets flush so many times last night! But inbetween I slept very well.

This morning we left at 7.15, and stopped for breakfast in Burguete, the first village down the road. The day was cloudy, and I soon left, as I didn't want to get cold. Audrey soon caught up, and we walked together most of the day.

There were quite a lot of hills, but not at all like the Pyrenees! We arrived in Zubiri at 2.45, and checked in at El Palo de Avellano, a nice hostel by the church.

Day 1, St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles

22 km, 30000 steps, 151 stairs :-o

This morning Jay, Stella and Audrey started walking early. I wasn't in a hurry, I took a taxi the first 9-10 kilometers. I've been ill most of the winter and haven't been able to train properly.

Today has been another great day. The taxi dropped me off at the statue of the Virgin of Orrison, a good place to start according to our hospitalero. The weather was nice and the going quite easy. I arrived at the monastery of Roncesvalles at about 1.30, showered, did my laundry and started waiting for the others. When they arrived we went straight for dinner, a large tuna salad, grilled chicken and ice cream.

My Internet connection is still too slow to upload photos, I will have to do that later.

Day -1, In St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Today was another great day in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I went for a long walk going up and down the hills, when all of a sudden I met Jay. He'd come on an earlier train, Stella and Audrey were coming later.   We went to the albergue and got our own 4 bed room, and caught up on everything that happened in the past two years. Later Stella and Audrey arrived, and our party of four was complete.

I'm sorry to say that my Internet connection where I am right now is too slow to upload photos, I will have to do that later. 

Day -2, To St Jean Pied de Port

After traveling for over 30 hours I have finally arrived in St Jean Pied de Port. I flew from Umeå to Paris, where I spent the night at Hotel Ibis Orly. My room was nothing like the photos on booking.com, I had to pay €10 to get the room I had actually booked. It was so worth it though, I slept like a princess. After a great buffet breakfast I walked back to the airport and took a bus to Montparnasse station. 

I had more than two hours to spare, but the station was huge, with a lot to see. The first thing that struck me was all the police and soldiers. With all the events in Europe of late I'm not surprised. 

After buying lunch for the train ride, I met 3 German and 1 Canadian pilgrims, and there are many more on the train. Most are going to St Jean, but some are going to Irun, to walk the Camino Norte, along the northern coast of Spain. 

It was very nice to arrive at Albergue Beilari (formerly Esprit du Chemin), where I started my first camino as well. That time I arrived late and left early next morning, so there was no time to see the town. This time I have scheduled an extra day here. 

I have managed to keep the weight of my pack down this time, I think it weighs 3 kilos less than the last time. When I told Hans this he replied 'Well, you're at least 3 kilos less trained'. So, we'll see how this turns out!

The Pilgrim Office of St Jean

Return to the Camino?

After I finished my previous camino I had lunch with two Canadian pilgrims in Santiago. As we were talking they asked when I planned on returning. My reply was quick. Never! But it didn't take long after I got back home. I really felt the pull of the Camino. I missed the Camino. My feet were in very bad shape though, so I knew I couldn't go back. But, then again, I shouldn't have been able to do it the first time either!

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I had a dream. I dreamt that I met Jay and Stella from NYC (two friends from my previous Camino) here in Sweden. They were waiting for me, while I was getting my backpack ready. That morning I had a message from Stella that she and her youngest daughter were going to do the Camino in May, and did I want to come? Who can say no after that? So, today I booked plane tickets to Paris on May 9, plus a hotel at the airport. My plan is to take the train from Paris to St Jean Pied the Port on the 10th, and start walking on the 12th. 

A shell showing the way in St Jean Pied de Port

När jag hade avslutat min förra camino åt jag lunch med två kanadensiska pilgrimer i Santiago. De hade just avslutat sin andra, respektive fjärde, camino, och undrade när jag skulle åka tillbaka nästa gång. Mitt svar var snabbt. Aldrig! Jag var så trött och hade så ont i fötterna. Men inte långt efter att jag kommit hem kom suget. Jag saknade caminon. Men eftersom mina fötter var i så dåligt skick visste jag att jag inte skulle kunna åka tillbaka. Å andra sidan så borde jag ju inte ha klarat det första gången heller?

Så för några veckor sedan så drömde jag att jag träffade Jay och Stella från New York (två vänner från min förra camino) här i Sverige. De stod och väntade på att jag skulle packa klart min ryggsäck. När jag vaknade på morgonen hade jag fått ett meddelande från Stella. Hon och hennes yngsta dotter skulle återvända till caminon i maj. Ville jag komma också? Det gick ju inte att säga nej! Så idag har jag bokat flyg till Paris, där jag övernattar och fortsätter med tåg till St Jean nästa dag, för att påbörja vandringen den 12 maj!