Santa Cilia to Artieda, 30 km

Elevation gain 364 m

Elevation loss 372 m

Total distance walked 354 km

So today we have joined the Camino Aragonés, which starts in Somport and we are on stage 2/3.

I make an early start today and leave just before 06:30 as it is a fairly long stage and it is likely to get very hot as the day progresses.

We set off on comfortable flat track running very close to the road but not within sight, and at this time of day there’s practically no traffic.

It’s lovely to get off the road for a while at 5.7 km and into woodland. There are lots of smooth large pebbles alongside the path and someone has taken it upon themselves to build lots of mini cairns which look absolutely lovely and remind me a bit of my garden at home.

I have been using the Merlin bird identification app on my phone today. I am amazed/impressed at the long list of birds it has recognised – assuming it’s accurate.

Common Nightingale

European Robin

Eurasian Blackcap

Eurasian Wren

Song Thrush

Eurasian Blackbird

Corn Bunting

European Serin

Common Firecrest

Western Bonelli’s Warbler

Common Chiffchaff

Corn Bunting

Common Cuckoo

Eurasian Skylark

European Bee-eater

Sadly, the beautiful woodland track doesn’t last very long and we emerge alongside the Rio Aragón very close to the Puente la Reina de Jaca bridge.

There are all services in this town but I have a supply of food that I bought yesterday in Jaca and I never need a caffeine fix, so don’t bother to divert into the town.

There’s a sign on the road that we are to walk saying closed for works. You’ve got to love a road with no cars. I was merrily enjoying walking along the middle of the road when some instinct prompted me to look at the track I had downloaded and lo and behold we had missed a turn off, fortunately not too far back. So we retraced our steps for a couple of hundred metres and saw that amongst the excavations/roadworks that were going on the original track we were meant to take had been diverted to a different access point. There were actually some arrows but we had totally missed them.

So we are now on a very narrow track through scrubland which is most pleasant.

Now that we have climbed on this narrow path, I can see down below the flat plains of crop fields before the Pyrenees rise up in the distance. There are lots of rugged peaks and they are all crowned in snow.

There’s a wonderful variety of wildflowers on this little track – including many pyramid orchids. I’ve seen irises for the first time and campanulas which I don’t think I’ve ever seen on the camino before, plus all the usual suspects. But my very favourite wildflower on this camino has been the tuberous-rooted meadow rue – a rather ugly name for a beautiful delicate flower. There are also signs of an abundance of cowslips which bloomed a few weeks ago. When I’m walking alone, which is often, I tend to find myself greeting the flowers as I would a young girl in her fanciest frock, complimenting them on their beauty.

The normal order of things on this Camino is that we might all leave together or we might, as this morning, stagger setting off. I leave first today because I am ready and don’t want to wait around. Paul leaves sometime soonish after, but he has a much faster natural pace than I do and so he catches up with me after about 5 or 6 km and we probably stick together for a while before I start to faff about taking photos and he walks on. Marilyn has a slower pace and usually brings up the rear, but sadly at the moment her pace is all but halted. She has decided to get a taxi for this stage in the hope that resting her leg will enable her to complete the last few stages on this camino. It is so disheartening to have to give up a longed-for walk through the Spanish countryside because of an injury, as I know only too well.

In 2019 I ended up with a stress fracture to my right femoral head on the Camino de Lana, and my last camino in 2022 to put my hip replacement to the test on Caminos de Norte and Primitivo also failed when I damaged my knee going down of a particularly steep rocky hill. I did struggle on in this instant but I could see I was doing myself no good and gave up a few stages short of the end. That is why I have been so desperate to complete this camino without injury as I fear if I suffer a third time it may put an end to my camino career for good, and that would be a very sad thing. The camino has given me so many truly wonderful experiences and has introduced me to some wonderful friends from all over the world whom I keep in touch with years later.

I’ve just realised there have been no dewdrop photos on this camino – largely because there’s been very little dew.

At 10.7 km this lovely path comes to an end at the village of Arrés. There’s an albergue here and Paul pops in for a coffee whilst I continue and find a lovely shaded spot by some running water to take a rest.

My camino mate Dave recently walked this route and has reported some very useful information. On today’s stage he commented that it is possible to avoid the incline and descent from Arrés by using a cycle track. I’m not sure if I would have been tempted had I noticed where this cycle track was, which I didn’t, but I would have missed a beautiful beautiful path if I had done so.

I see the first camino mojon at the bottom of the descent from Arrés, showing 800 km to Santiago.

Then we are walking on a wide straight well compacted comfortable gravel track.

At 18 km we’re sitting down talking a break with two nightingales singing to eachother. Wonderful!

When we set off again at 11:30 the sun is suddenly pumping out a tremendous amount of heat

We have walked on a variety of paths today most of them comfortable. And as we progress throughout the day we are leaving the white peaked mountains of the Pyrenees behind us which is a shame but I am sure we have other treats in store in the next few days – and there are only a few more days on this camino adventure.

We meet up with a large group of sheep – rather smelly at such close quarters but a treat to see them and hear their bells ringing.

After this it’s a bit of a slog for the last few kilometres. Lots of inclines with a few descents as we climb and climb to the stage end at the top of a hill. Artieda is another very pretty stone village with amazing views to the Pyrenees and over the Embalse de Yesa (a huge reservoir).

We’re staying at the Albergue de Artieda, in a tiny room with two sets of bunk beds. I’ve pulled the short straw and am up top for the first time this trip. Very undignified for an old lady, but it was my turn. Now that we have joined with the camino Aragonés there are suddenly more pilgrims on the road.

There is an attached bar/restaurant but no other facilities in the village.

C. Luis Buñuel, 10, next to the church, 948 439 316, info@alberguedeartieda.com, Web: alberguedeartieda.com, can reserve, €12, 16 places, food available in bar but no shop. Good reviews.