Trepidatious traveller – camino blog | Camino de Santiago de Compostela – before, during and after

Camino Catalán, stage 5

Posted on 19/05/2024 by magwood

Linyola – Algerri, 33.3 km

Elevation gain 251 m

Elevation loss 144 m

Total distance 140 km

We didn’t really make an effort yesterday to discover Linyola in any great depths. When we arrived, we walked through the church square and past a beautiful ancient arcade but the rest of the town seems to be newish and almost entirely unfinished.

This morning we leave on the dot of 07:00 to a bright and fresh day. We have a long stage today with uncertain accommodation when we get there, in addition to which there is a forecast of rain due to start at 1pm and a heavy downpour starting at 3pm. It’s unlikely we’ll reach our destination before then.

We are on a gravel track as soon as we leave town – not the nice smooth compacted gravel but the type with bigger bits of stone which makes for uncomfortable walking – hopefully it will smooth out soon

And indeed the gravel track does smooth out after a couple of kilometres which is much more comfortable (for a while – it changed back to bigger stones as we continued). The scenery so far is the same as yesterday, very flat with cereal crops abounding, poppies at the edges of the fields and a beautiful mackerel sky.

There are many irrigation channels in this area. Yesterday they were wide fast flowing and pristine clean. Today I’ve heard the water running under drain covers and have seen acequias (narrow channels). There are some very complicated looking diversion taps to send the water in the right direction.

I heard my first cuckoo calling today. That made me smile!

Although the scenery continues to be stunning, I have to say I’m getting a tad weary of walking along wide fairly straight tracks for hours and hours on end. Give me a rugged narrow path any time, even if it does slow the pace considerably. The mountains in the distance seem to be a bit less distant today.

It seems we are now in cow country. This morning is the first time on this camino that I have seen any livestock (other than hearing the plaintive cries of the pigs in their concrete bunkers). I’ve just passed the third cow station – all enclosed in pens, probably to be fattened up for their eventual demise. I have to say that the Camino del Norte was probably the most delightful trail to see animals living their best life – beautiful cows with their bells ringing in harmony, grazing luscious grass and with the Atlantic Ocean for a backdrop. They would often saunter over to the fence to say hello

The first place we reach is Balageur which is another of those towns that you can see way in the distance and take forever to actually reach. I got to the outskirts at 11.25 km. It seems a very large town and not very attractive on the approach but the grim outskirts eventually give away to a rather charming old quarter with a beautiful large church and another on a hill, tucked behind the city wall together with a castle. If you’re walking this route, don’t stop at the first bar you find like we did but keep going until you reach the wide fast flowing river and enjoy your refreshment stop amongst some nice scenery

By 10 o’clock as we are leaving Balageur there is some real heat to the sun.

We each walked our own pace on the first section of this stage. I led the way then I suspect Marilyn followed with Paul behind but as is normally the case Paul eventually passed us both and he arrived in the town first. I caught up with him for our drink break, but there was no sign of Marilyn and it turned out that she had taken an unscheduled diversion which added a few kilometres to her route.

On leaving the town Paul and I followed yellow arrows which took us to a main road. I checked where we were against the track I had downloaded and it was clear that we were far from where we needed to be, so retraced our steps to the main square. By which time we were behind Marilyn!

After a steep climb out of the town we continue on a very quiet country road where the crops seem to be at a more advanced stage. Fewer swathes of bright green replaced by gold and flax colours. I have read an account of a friend who walked this route several years ago but much later in the year after the crops had been harvested and the fields ploughed and she commented on how drab the scenery was with all the brown fields stretching out in the distance. I think we have timed this just about right.

There have been conflicting arrows on several occasions on this camino, including another one later in the day.

I suspect this huge unit is full of sad pigs, although I can’t know that for sure. But there is a very distinguishable stench that comes out of these units which I recognise from the first time we saw one when we could actually tell there were pigs inside from their awful cries. There have been many of these units along the way, mostly not as modern looking as this one, but all with the same awful smell. The cows I passed this morning (and there were plenty of them corralled into a pen) didn’t leave any lingering smell at all they could see the light of day.

Halfway to the next village the scenery changes somewhat – instead of vast swathes of cereal crops we now have hills and trees. But we also have ominous dark clouds preparing for the downpour that we have been promised and that duly empties upon us, accompanied by much clapping of thunder.

At Castelló de Farfanya we found shelter under some stone arches and ate supplies from our packs. The rain stopped for a while and we took to the road.

The track is now firm sand which might be the most comfortable surface to walk on. But no sooner had I done a little happy dance than the rain started again and the sand morphed into thick cloying clay which hangs on your boots and weighs you down.

We reach Algerri after 33 km (including the two when Paul and I followed the wrong arrows) and were rather anxious that we wouldn’t be able to access the albergue. It is operated by the townhall and I haven’t been able to contact anyone the over weekend to arrange entry on a Sunday. But we needn’t have worried as the social club next door was in full swing with guys playing cards, and as soon as we peeped inside we were welcomed most heartily to go through the registration process. I have to say that this is one of the best albergues with the most wonderful welcome. Thank you Algerri.

Algerri is a small town with an extremely big church.

Accommodation notes:

Albergue de Peregrinos, Pl. Major, 1, ajuntament@algerri.ddl.net, Web: www.algerri.cat. It is recommended to contact in advance via email preferably or by phone at City Hall (+34 973 426 013, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) to arrange the day and time of arrival. €10, twelve places, kitchen, excellent reviews

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela | 6 Comments

Camino Catalán, stage 4

Posted on 18/05/2024 by magwood

Tárrega to Linyola, 25 km

Elevation gain 24 m

Elevation loss 133 m

Total distance 107 km

We were joined in the albergue last night by a Spanish guy and his nephew who are from Barcelona and had walked the camino from the city, although they are taking a different variant to us. They are the only pilgrims we have seen thus far.

Today is a little fresh as we set off and the sky is speckled with fluffy cloud. The forecast is for sun all day. We reach our first track after a very short while and are greeted by a bunny on the path.

We follow very distinct arrows, but I’m a bit anxious because they are taking us in a very different direction to the track that I had downloaded. I keep faith and eventually the two tracks meet at about 5 km.

We are walking through cereal crops interspersed with groves of olives and almonds. All very precisely laid out for easy harvesting. The track is wide and stony – access for farmers. The sun is rising in the sky. it’s all very peaceful.

I’m feeling very slow and uncoordinated this morning. Nothing specific is hurting but there are a few aches which I suppose isn’t really surprising. Luckily no one seems to mind taking it easy.

There are fruit trees are planted extremely close together in espalier fashion, in long long rows. We see apples and pears growing like this. The edges of the fields are full of stunning poppies and the wildflowers are putting on a lovely show.

Some of the apples and pears are growing under netting and we can’t work out why this should be. Surely this fruit is robust enough to look after itself.

Marilyn and I are having a bit of a plant identification walk this morning. It started with taking photos of the different types of cereal crop to see if we could distinguish them, which we could. We are taking pictures of every plant we don’t know the name of and looking it up – it’s making a slow day even slower, but it’s great fun.

We reach the outskirts of Tornabus at 10 km. It seems a very clean and tidy town with more orchards on the outskirts and very well kept properties. We stop for a drink and a thorough adjustment of my pack straps to make them all even.

I’m really impressed with the town, especially as they had a fresh fruit and veg stall which was glorious (and I bought some cherries).

After passing through a tiny village with no services we reach La Fuliola at 14 km and another tiny village at 15.5. Although we have been road walking for a good while there has been virtually no traffic and the scenery is just stunning all the way. These villages really help to break up a long stretch. Variety is the spice of life!

We have seen our first stork today which was cause for much excitement. At 19km we unexpectedly come across Castell del Remei, an historic wine cellar – the oldest in Catalunya according to the blurb. It is a stunning complex of buildings. A wedding party emerges from the chapel as we arrive. We obviously call in to take a break in their glorious grounds. There is a bar, wine tasting sessions, a restaurant, cellars and lovely gardens. It is a beautiful place. Sadly I don’t dare order a glass of wine on account of the mounting heat and the fact that we still have more than an hour to walk. A chilled Fanta has to suffice.

I can’t tell you how fabulous was our visit at Castell del Remei. The two young staff members were friendly and very very kind. They provided us with a lovely sello for our pilgrim’s passports and gave answers to all our many questions about the surrounding countryside. They explained that the covers on the fruit trees were there to protect the fruits from the regular hail storms that occur in this region and which can quickly destroy an entire crop. Having experienced the hail on my bare arms twice now, I can thoroughly understand this precaution. It must be very expensive to set up though.

From Castell del Remei to our stage end is entirely on gravel track. The break has given me a bit of a boost and the next 6km aren’t too strenuous.

The scenery has remained pretty much the same all day – very beautiful and very flat, although we can see some mountains in the distance which may or may not be the Pyrenees.

We can see our destination of Linyola in the distance, a long way off. This isn’t the best way to approach a town – when you can see it on the horizon it seems to take absolutely forever to reach, whereas if it’s suddenly in front of you when you round a bend it’s a wonderful surprise.

The afternoon has become very warm. There are clouds but none that stop the sun. Fortunately there is a gentle cooling breeze so the day has turned out to be just about perfect.

I’ve noticed in recent times, particularly on Camino, that my scalp burns quite easily where my hair parts. I hate wearing a hat – it makes me too hot – I always wear my homemade visor which is great for shielding my eyes and keeping my hair out of my face but leaves my scalp exposed. Just the day before I left for camino I had the brainwave of making a headcover that fits on top of my visor. I put it on for the first time today and it’s perfect. Made out of Buff fabric is has some sun protection and was not in any way hot.

Seeing our first stork this morning was a delight. But it was a long way off so I didn’t get a very good shot which is a bit disappointing. As we approached the castle however there were many storks nesting in the surrounding trees, which we don’t see that often as we normally spy them on church towers. I managed a couple of shots that I am delighted with. It makes carrying my camera absolutely worthwhile. It may not be worth its weight in gold but it’s worth its weight in the delight of being able to use a 30x lens and catch images that my phone would fail to.

We reach Linyola at around 25 km. The outskirts of the town are little bit sad – there are lots of new boxy buildings but none of them have been quite finished. I’m sure there is an old town which will be much more charming.

There is limited accommodation in Linyola. We enquire about an apartment but it is taken. The owner kindly offers us a room in her house and we agreed over the phone yesterday that Marilyn and I would bunk up in a double bed with a single for Paul. It’s a bit of a shock though when we arrive and realise how tiny our room is. We will be doing a lot of shuffling around eachother this evening!

Posted in Cami Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino de Santiago de Compostela | Tagged Camino Aragonés, Camino blog, Camino Catalán, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago de compostela, Camino de Santiago. | 6 Comments

Camino Catalán, stage 3

Posted on 17/05/2024 by magwood

Panadella to Tárrega, 31 km

Elevation gain 146 m

Elevation loss 485 m

Total distance 82 km

We almost missed the turn onto the track when we started off this morning. It is very soon after leaving the hostel and passing the petrol station on the left.

Once again there is a huge amount of rain forecast for the middle of our walk – we shall see!

But right now as we set off for the day, the sun is shining bright in the blue blue sky. We have crop fields on one side and pine trees on the other, and at the moment all is very well indeed.

At 4km we pass through the first tiny village with its beautifully renovated properties. We’re then on a road until we reach the next village, Sant Antoni at 5.7 km. There is a shop, which is not open at 08:30, but there is a bar at the exit of the town which is open and offers a nice stamp for our credenciales.

Then we’re still walking on hard surface, but more like agricultural tracks through fields of weaving crops under a mackerel sky

At 9.5 km after passing through the village of Sant Pere dels Arquells there is an option to go to the right on the road or straight on which is a motocross path. We’re taking the motocross path because someone has recommended it.

The motocross track soon turns into a dirt trail and it is stunningly beautiful with wide agricultural vistas and luckily no motorbikes to kick dust up into our faces

After about 1.5 km on this trail we turn onto a very narrow winding stony path up between scrubby pines, holly oak and holm oak – and I am instantly reminded of one of my favourite walks from when I lived in Spain, but instead of the wide open countryside in the distance that I see today, in Cómpeta we had mountain views leading down to the blue Mediterranean. I couldn’t really say which was better though.

There are lots of wildflowers. I’ve seen several lizards a huge cricket and the bird song is loud and beautiful.

There are foxgloves growing amongst the trees, but sadly they are not in flower yet – it will be stunning in a week or two.

I have fallen far behind the others whilst I stop to take photos and just admire the views and when I am moving, I dictate these notes along the way because if I didn’t, I would certainly not remember much detail about where I’ve walked – there would be a general, “oh my goodness that was lovely”.

Marilyn and I were sidetracked by a large group of school children screeching about the dirt tracks on bicycles at the village of Vergós and we found ourselves following arrows that took us on the road for the next few kms into Cervera, whereas there was an option to stay on track as far as the town.

We decide not to follow directions into the centre of Cervera which is situated atop a steep hill and work our way around the streets to avoid the climb.

At 18 km we’re back on a wide stony track with scrubby steep hills on one side and cereal crops on the other. We stopped for a quick break at this beautiful crumbling ancient church to rest our feet for a while and eat a few supplies.

I haven’t found my happy place with my backpack yet and keep adjusting various straps to make it more comfortable. It usually takes a few days to get sorted, hopefully not much longer !

More road at 23.5 km and then the rain comes down again, very heavily for a good while. By the time it lets up we have reached El Talladell, 27km – a very pretty ancient village full of stone houses – really charming. We find a bar but it shuts at 14:00 and we arrive at 14:20 so we sit for a while and dry off our gear.

It’s only a couple of km to our stage end at the large town of Tárrega and we stop in a pretty square for a couple of tapas and a refreshing fizzy drink, before making our way to the Albergue that is situated at the far end of the town in an industrial area. The registration period is over long before we arrive so we have to call the Policia Local to come and register us. When they turn up 30 minutes later they are very patient and kind.

The Albergue is situated in the building pictured below. There are 14 beds, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with just a fridge and microwave and no utensils, crockery or cutlery – just a few glasses. There are several supermarkets en route to the albergue.

I’ll add contact details for the Albergue at a later date.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela | Tagged Camino Aragonés, Camino blog, Camino Catalán, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago de compostela, Camino de Santiago., Spain | 9 Comments

Camino Catalán, stage 2

Posted on 16/05/2024 by magwood

Igualada – Panadella, 23 km

Elevation gain 450 m

Elevation loss 77 m

Total distance 51 km

I forgot to turn on Wikiloc for around 1.5km so I have added this to the distances mentioned in this post.

We have a gentle incline through residential outskirts that are rather more luxurious than those on the other side of town

After a few kms we reach the Church of Sant Jaume. You can see information here

After passing the last of the residential properties we come to a gravel track. The views around are spectacular, although shrouded in cloud.

But sadly, we are all too soon on the road again with little or no shoulder at all. Luckily it’s not too busy. Then a very quiet road alongside the A2 autovia with all the roaring traffic noise that entails. The birds put up a valiant effort to be heard above the roar.

At 6km we pass through the small but very pretty village of Sant Genis on a quiet road, now with more distance from the motorway so the sound is less imposing.

It is a dull fresh morning with lots of low cloud. The forecast warns us to expect rain throughout the day let’s hope we can dodge it

We reached the town of Jorba after 7.5 km at precisely 9 am with three church bells ringing us in. It’s a long thin town seemingly a only couple of streets wide, although it boasts several bars. We visited the first one which was less than special.

After our drink we continue along the road out of town and are guided around a motorway junction which feels very uncomfortable with cars whizzing off the motorway towards the roundabout we have to cross. Not all pleasant!

We stop at a service station (to use their services) at 12 km

And for the rest of the way we walked along the N11, mostly with a wide shoulder, and to be honest there wasn’t much traffic. But there was a continual incline all the way to our resting place at La Panadella, which is pretty much a pit stop for truckers where there is a service station and a couple of hostels. We picked the Bayona, but if this was the best choice then the other one must be pretty dire. Although the staff are very pleasant. €25 per person whether you take a single room or share so of course we opted for the rare privacy of single rooms. I’m very underwhelmed with my room which is extremely dated and although probably clean it is difficult to tell.

So we walked for about 23 km almost entirely on hard surface alongside, or in view of, the motorway.

Oh, and in the middle of it the weather forecast proved correct. After several claps of thunder the rain started and we quickly donned our wet weather gear. My cover hails from Lidl. Originally a poncho for about £10, which I altered to cover just my pack and chest, cutting away all the excess fabric that flaps around the arms and legs. Last camino I only used it once and it left a little to be desired. So this year I have made a few adjustments with the help of some elastic bands and a clip from an outgrown dog harness. It’s perfect! I am happy for my arms to be free as skin dries quickly enough. Today however that rain soon turned to very spiteful hail which gave a bit of a sting on my bare arms.

Hoping for a lot less road walking tomorrow!

Posted in Cami Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino de Santiago de Compostela | Tagged Camino Aragonés, Camino blog, Camino Catslán, Camino de Santiago de compostela, Camino de Santiago., long distance hiking, Spain | 6 Comments

Camino Catalán, stage 1

Posted on 15/05/2024 by magwood

Monestir de Montserrat – Igualada, 28 km

Elevation gain 340 m

Elevation loss 744 m

Total distance 28 km

On leaving the Albergue at 07:00 we found our way to the first camino sign (well, the first one we noticed!) It was a blue sky morning, showing off the rock formations at their most intense.

There was a narrow dirt track that led around the monastery – very pretty, and after a while it diverted onto an even narrower rocky track leading steeply downwards.

Sadly we reach a road at approx 2 km and stay on it for more than 7 km. For some of the way there is a small path inside the safety barrier. We receive our first ‘Buen Camino’ from a passing motorist – always a special moment.

The countryside is very green and lush, not at all as though the area has been suffering from a severe drought.

I would prefer not to be walking such a long distance on the side of a road, but when you have scenery as beautiful as this, it takes the edge away. There is actually very little traffic on the road. We are walking on the wrong (right) side because there is absolutely nothing coming down from Montserrat, although there are plenty of coaches taking tourists up to the Monastery. It would have felt a lot less comfortable a couple of hours later when the coaches are on their return trips.

It is the first time I have used my hiking poles in two years, yet they instantly feel like old friends. Pacer Poles are different to standard poles in that they have ergonomic handles and are extremely comfortable to use.

At 9.8 km we finally get back onto a track. And it is a bit of a challenge for a while with big rocks to climb up. I can definitely feel my age on this short stretch – but at the same time it is such a treat to be off the road that it is all very welcome.

At almost 12 km we arrive at the first village on this stage – Saint Pau de la Guàrdia and stop at the first bar which is a large and charming establishment where we treat ourselves to a hot drink and tostadas con tomate. That felt good! The beautiful Celler de la Guàrdia is open every day 8-5. Highly recommended.

After passing through the village we emerge into wide countryside with crops growing knee-high and lots of wild flowers.

We are directed away from this beautiful track onto a road in order to pass over and under a motorway, and then back onto a minor agricultural road which leads us to the pleasant town of Castelloli where we stop for refreshment.

It was then a bit of a drudge for the rest of the way, particularly when walking through an endless stretch of industrial buildings alongside a busy road, which eventually merged with the outskirts of Igualada, a large town where we are staying tonight. There is albergue accommodation within the tourist information office building. It is rather expensive at €19.95 per person but it is all very new and impressive with extensive facilities and in the heart of the old town. We’re not complaining! It is advised to reserve in advance, although we seem to be the only residents here today. Telephone +34 935 164 016, Placa de la Creu, 18.

Today has felt rather special. It’s so good to be walking with the old gang, and the good parts of this first stage more than compensated for the bad.

We are all feeling a little weary this evening after our first 28 km day and bought some healthy food in the supermarket to replenish our used calories (the health app in my iphone tells me I have used 1,300 calories today so I reckon I must be in deficit – not at all a bad thing!!

There has been really excellent direction marking throughout the stage with no possibility of getting lost.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela | Tagged Cami Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago de compostela, Camino de Santiago., long distance hiking, Spain | 3 Comments

Getting there

Posted on 14/05/2024 by magwood

Thank you for so many fabulous and truly heartwarming comments on my recent blog post. It really is a wonderful community of friends here. Some of you I have known for many years, many more are recent friends and there are those whom I have never actually met but nevertheless feel like kindred spirits. Thank you.

As I start this camino I have received 995,000 hits on the blog. That’s amazing for something that started as an aid memoir, recording adventures that I never wanted to forget. Maybe whilst I am walking, that number might tick over to 1m. Who knows?

As I left home this morning I was a bit sad that I may be missing the best of my spring garden. Foxgloves and cistus are already blooming, the irises are about to burst forth and the peony buds are getting fat. But hopefully there will be plenty to welcome me home in three weeks.

Little Lily the border terrier went off on her holidays yesterday to be spoiled by the dog sitter and her two teenage daughters and have lots of canine company. I sometimes wonder if she happy or disappointed when I arrive to collect her.

I was determined to make my own way to the airport this morning, despite a hugely kind offer to drive me from a neighbour I have only just met. I was a little anxious that I needed to catch the first bus at 04:50 and had no idea if this would be any more reliable than those later In the day.

The general opinion when I asked on a community fb group about the chances of it turning up was to get an Uber – but that would be my fallback plan. In the event though, the No 4 turned up exactly on time and was obviously a well used service taking locals to their early morning jobs.

After a quick change at the city centre onto the Airport Flyer I was deposited at the airport exactly two hours before my flight. Security was manic – an elderly lady had collapsed in the queue causing a huge backlog of passengers until staff sorted out a way for us to bypass her lying in the middle of the gangway.

My anxiety was also a bit raised as I had packed my hiking poles and wasn’t confident that they would be allowed through security. In the past I have always checked my backpack en route to a camino but I resent the ridiculous cost of doing this, so thought I would take my chances. Luckily they sailed through. Back in 2013 when I was gathering new gear for my first camino I was aghast at the high cost of these Pacer Poles – something like £90, but now that I’m about to use them on my ninth camino and countless hundreds of kms hiking the local mountains when I lived in Spain, they seem like an absolute bargain!

So now that I’m wending my way towards Barcelona I can relax and enjoy the beautiful blue sky above a thick bank of white fluffy cloud. That was all to change though when we neared our destination and the heavens opened and deposited torrential rain upon us.

I took the airport train to Sants station where I met up with Marilyn. But now we were faced with crossing the centre of Barcelona under a torrent of rain. At least I got to try out my modified rain cover which worked a treat. It is much more efficient to take the airport bus direct to Placa Espanya.

After finding Estación Espanya we jumped onto the train to Montserrat and alighted at Aeri de Montserrat and admired the rock formations high above – albeit covered in low cloud. We then climbed aboard the cable car and were whisked aloft. We found the office where we needed to register for the Albergue. It is an excellent establishment with a €10 charge. We are joined by two Italian guys and a Korean woman who have all ended their various caminos and have come here for their last night.

Paul joined us later in the afternoon and we sauntered around under now clear blue sky and caught up with each other’s news before heading off for supper.

Montserrat deserves more time really – it is a stunning location with trails to various shrines and an almost vertical funicular that takes you even higher into the rock formations. But…the camino awaits so mere sightseeing will have to be put on hold for another occasion.

Apologies for no photos. The app I usually use has changed and it’s now too late for me to find an alternative. I’ll find a solution and add them later.

Posted in Cami Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino de Santiago de Compostela | Tagged Camí Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago de compostela, Camino de Santiago., long distance hiking, Spain, travel | 9 Comments

Here we go again!

Posted on 12/05/2024 by magwood

After almost two years of silence following my last adventure in 2022, I am on the verge of making another attempt at walking a Spanish camino.

After seven years of annual incident-free caminos, my last two attempts were terminated early – the Lana in 2019 which ended with a stress fracture of my hip, and the Norte/Primitivo in 2022 which ended with a knee injury.

I’m hoping it will be third time lucky when I arrive in Barcelona on 14 May to walk the Cami Catalán from Montserrat to where it joins the Camino Aragonés, and onwards until I reach the Camino Frances at Puente la Reina.

I shall have the company of serial walking chums Marilyn from South Africa, with whom I have walked on three previous routes, and Paul from the UK who I met in 2015 when I walked the Mozárabe and with whom I have now walked four times.

I no longer assume my body will do all that I ask of it, after all it has protested a couple of times now, but fingers are crossed, pleas have been sent to St James and cool packs and strapping tape will be tucked away in my backpack.

I have made a couple of 25+km practice walks with my plucky little pooch, and visited the chiropractor for some precautionary treatment. I’ve also had a steroid injection in the knee that gave me so much trouble last time.

The total distance of the Catalán and Aragonés combined is about 450 km and the stages I have planned are generally a bit shorter than I have walked previously. So I aim to be a little kinder to my body than in the past. Also, at the ripe old age of 70 this year, I am the baby of we three camigos and we are all aware of encroaching limitations.

I am just about ready, items on the packing list have been ticked off one by one and stashed in my pack. Lots of old stuff is being recycled yet again – just new trousers and boots. Please wish us luck – I’ve never felt I needed it before, but this year….

Posted in Cami Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino de Santiago de Compostela | Tagged Cami Catalán, Camino Aragonés, Camino de Santiago, Camino de Santiago blog | 37 Comments

Post camino hanging around

Posted on 01/06/2022 by magwood

I last posted on Friday after arriving in Finisterre. On Saturday I had such a lazy day – I limped to the shop to buy some food and painkillers and spent the rest of the day on the bed. This is a fabulous albergue to relax in but it’s a 10 minute walk to the shops (more like 20 for me at the moment). It’s well run by caring people, a good mixture of dorms and private rooms, good kitchen and dining area, machine washing and drying if required, and plenty of tables and chairs inside and out. Lovely and relaxed in a peaceful location. Albergue Mar de Fora. https://www.alberguemardefora.com/en

*Blue dot marks the position of the albergue. The sunset beach is on the west side of the promontory.*

Paul and I walk to the Miradoiro de Mar de Fóra to catch sight of the sunset rather than a trip up to the lighthouse (which I would have found very difficult). It was much less crowded. There were some people on the beach and a few others joined us at the lookout point. It was actually much calmer and more intimate than the lighthouse. A really good experience.

On Sunday I said goodbye to Paul and took the bus to Santiago where I stayed in my usual albergue ‘The Last Stamp’. It’s in a great position but if I ever do make it to Santiago again I think I will try somewhere different. It seems to have become rather tired over the years and I was very unimpressed with the state of the bedding which had always impressed me the past – although I have to say that pilgrims are quite easily impressed! Incidentally the bus station has moved to be next to the train station.

First stop after dumping my stuff was a glass of wine in the sunshine at the bar below the Praza do Obradoiro (Avenida de Raxoi) – the steps leading to it is one of the best places to capture an image of the cathedral. Next on the agenda was a visit to the posh Cafe Casino for chocolate y churros, and in the evening I found a charming restaurant that serves vegan dishes (amongst a choice for meat eaters) called the Greenhouse, very reasonable prices and I spent my time there chatting to a young woman from Luxembourg.

On Monday morning I caught the train to A Coruña where I am staying in the hostal Carbonara in the heart of the old town. It’s quite a schlep from the station and really I should have taken a taxi or bus, but being in camino mode it didn’t even occur to me. The hostal is fine but the weather isn’t. It is due to rain for my entire stay. I shopped for food and ate in my room and slept a lot.

Tuesday rained as predicted. I wore my raincoat for the first time on this trip and wandered to the Praza de María Pita, a beautiful main square, and across to the marina where there was moored the most ridiculously enormous cruise liner. When I ventured out again in the afternoon (in the rain once more) in order to see the beach the said liner was departing and could only just be made out in the grey mist of the horizon. The beach was long and deserted, other than for a few dog walkers.

I can think of many worse places to be holed up in the rain for a few days. My room is comfortable and there is excellent wifi, although I don’t really need it. Data is so very cheap here in Spain. I have an e-sim in my phone which leaves the physical sim slot free to allow for two different providers. I bought a 25GB data-only sim for around 14€ that has kept me going without having to rely on dodgy wifi for the whole trip.

A Coruña old town is charming. The architecture is really unusual – taken from Google…

A Coruña is a city rich in many architectural styles, from traditional Celtic, Romanesque and Baroque to Neoclassical, contemporary and downright futuristic, yet none are as iconic as the city’s beautiful Galerías. Lining elegant avenues such as the Avenida Marina in the city centre, they consist of enclosed glass and white-painted steel galleries adorned with intricately worked patterns that create a very fresh almost embroidered look.

Enforced R&R

Posted on 27/05/2022 by magwood

Sorry for the prolonged silence. You must have been wondering what’s been going on. And the answer is – pretty much nothing. The combination of right knee and left foot malfunction has left me unable to do much more than hobble and so I have admitted defeat, thrown in the towel, fallen by the wayside, quite simply given up on this camino. I don’t feel too bad about it. I would have done (did in fact) on (a) previous caminos, but not this one. I have come to realise over the last few weeks that I no longer feel the need to be away from home for longer periods. In fact I can’t imagine that I will take such a long trip again. Maybe 2-3 weeks will be my maximum in future.

It has occurred to me that the reason I have walked in the past for five, six, even seven weeks was because I felt the need to get away from home and challenge myself. Now that I live alone I am much happier to be at home. I love my little cottage and beautiful garden and am missing it a lot – not to mention my family, particularly granddaughter Sophia who often stays with me and of course my pooch.

I used to find it really difficult to settle back into normal life, whereas now I am eager to return.

In fact I am feeling right now that I may not instigate another camino, although of course I would find it hard to decline an invitation to join a camiga/o for a couple of weeks’ walking in Spain.

It was my pre-covid plan to embark on a series of city breaks around Europe, perhaps working my way through the alphabet. A four-day trip seems ideal to me, not enough time to miss anything/body but sufficient to keep alive a small sense of adventure.

So now I am no longer a pilgrim, just a tourist.

When you just have to eat something in order to take your painkillers!

Yesterday I spent the day mooching around the charming and ancient city of Lugo. Today I jumped on the 08:15 bus to Santiago and just made the 10:00 connection to Finisterre by the skin of my teeth. Paul is with me for another day before we return to Santiago and go our separate ways. Paul is very easy company. We met on camino in 2015 and this is the fourth time we have walked together.

I am staying in the Albergue Mar de Fora up behind the razzamatazz of the harbourside area. Very peaceful with lots of outdoor space. I’ve treated myself to a private room and am planning to take it very easy for two days. I’m not even sure if I’ll make it up to the lighthouse for the sunset tomorrow, although I do know I would like to. It has been extremely hot today.

We went to the big beach at the entrance to Finisterre today. The one where I would kick off my boots and saunter along the several kms of white sand after the three day walk from Santiago. I even limped into the sea for awhile – first time for years. There is also a smaller beach on the northern side of the peninsular that I hope to reacquaint myself with tomorrow – this albergue is well placed to reach it.

At least the tape colour-coordinates with my skirt!

I will have two nights in Santiago followed by two more in A Coruña. I would much prefer to leave for home today but flights were booked in expectation of completing my plans and it is way too expensive to change them now. So, I have enforced R&R

I hope new followers are not too disappointed by this turn of events. Most of the stages I’m missing are recorded in other camino combinations I have walked. You can find them by clicking on ‘my caminos’ at the top of the page, although I have never walked the stage and a half between Lugo and Melide as last time I walked the Primitivo I cut across from Lugo to the Camino del Norte.

I expect I will write another couple of posts before leaving Spain, so do stay tuned.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela | 21 Comments

Camino Primitivo, O Cádavo to Lugo 32 km

Posted on 26/05/2022 by magwood

Last night in the dorm was atrocious – nine people, eight men, very close and smelly, lots and lots of snoring. I gave up trying to sleep at 1 am and put in earplugs and listened to the radio for an hour or so, but when I tried to sleep again it was no better.

And then this morning at 05:30 this selfish, thoughtless, ignorant group of men (who had disturbed my peace at the beginning of yesterday’s walk) went about noisily packing up, rustling plastic bags and flashing their headlights – one even talking to himself. This went on for at least half an hour before they left the room. Great I thought, we can at least have an hour’s sleep. But no, they proceeded to talk in their loudest of loud voices in the kitchen, which reverberated all around the albergue. I never want to be in the same space as them again!

There is sun today – yippee!! It is cool and fresh with a blue sky and still air.

My knee was particularly uncomfortable after yesterday‘s stage, which was the longest I’ve walked for some days, and it takes me a couple of kms to get moving smoothly.

After a km or so on a quiet road we have a very comfortable wide sandy track through a pine forest with lots of beautiful yellow broom lining the way.

I heard my first cuckoo of this camino. And I saw another stork in a field, only the second on this trip.

There are a few kilometres on country lanes before reaching Castroverde at 8.25 km and then it alternates back and forth between track and road.

I pass new plantings for a eucalyptus plantation, currently saplings only about 5 feet tall, but in no time at all they will rise to a great height to obscure all the views and, from what I am told, will take all the nourishment from the soil without putting anything back

This beautiful chap’s legs are so long that he has to bend them in order to nibble the grass.

I’m surprised to come across a delightful stone built albergue called Puciña Muñiz with a bar/cafe in a tiny village 15 km from O Cadavo – half way point for me. My knee is already making walking painful and a few kms further on I am pleased to see that an enterprising man has set up a donativo melon station in a field at the side of the road. He is offering melon to all who wish to stop – and there are plenty!

There is probably more road than track during the last third of this stage, most of which was easy and fine. Sadly my right knee, and increasingly my left foot continued to give increasing pain and I limped slowly into the beautiful walled city of Lugo.

I had decided en route to stay an extra night in Lugo to give myself a rest. I’m staying at Hostel Cross not far from the main square. €15. There are not many here which is great, as the bathroom facilities seem limited, but what there is is very good. I seem to be the only woman so I have a luxury shower room to myself. That will probably change for night two.

I hobbled to the cathedral for a stamp for my credencial. I bought some more pain relief cream which seems to have no effect and will try to buy some kinesiology tape tomorrow. If I didn’t have a homeward flight already booked I would probably think about going home early. As it is, I hope to be able to walk to Melide where the Primitivo meets the Frances – 1.5 stages. I will stay in Melide overnight to have a look around as I have only passed straight through before. Then (as was always my intention) jump on a bus to Santiago. I had originally planned to walk the three days to Finisterre but now I will stay two days in Santiago and then move to A Coruña for a couple of nights before jumping on a short Volotea flight to Bilbao and back to Bristol from there.

So, for the moment, it is…

hip = 10/10

Knee and foot – could do a great deal better!

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo | 7 Comments

Camino Primitivo, A Fonsagrada to O Cádavo 25 km

Posted on 24/05/2022 by magwood

Yesterday the number of views on my blog tripped over 900,000. I find it unbelievable that it has reached this number. Thank you all for taking the time to visit.

And a huge thank you to everyone who goes to the trouble of making a comment. This is so much appreciated – and I delight in every one. I’m just sorry that I can’t find the time to respond to them all. It takes a long time to prepare the blog each evening and I have no head space left for responses, except the few that ask specific questions.

I had a comment relating to taking a taxi the other day…

If you felt uncomfortable taking a taxi (and I understand it completely), why not having walked a short and relatively easy stage from Campiello to Pola de Allande or Peñaseita? There are 4 albergues there nowadays. Seems like you skipped the best part of Primitivo with a taxi. Kind of sad

In response I just want to reiterate that I have walked the Hospitales route before in beautiful weather and it was absolutely stunning. I thought long and hard about how to manage this stage with an injured knee. The Pola de Allende route is even harder on the knees (with unforgiving descent) than the Hospitales route. And there is also an unremitting descent on the following stage down to the reservoir. The lovely Dutch pilgrim we shared our taxi with is a nurse and she commented that I will want my knee to support me for at least another twenty years and I do not need to abuse it in the meantime. So, taking all the circumstances into account I am happy with the decision we took and I hope that I can begin to walk slightly longer stages from here on.

As I have already stated in previous posts, this was never going to be a camino as I have walked in the past. I have previously always started at the perceived beginning of a route and walked every stage until the end, and often beyond. This trip was intended to test my new hip, and my stamina after three years of relative idleness. I didn’t start at the beginning and I’m not finishing at the end and so it doesn’t really matter what happens in between. But, most importantly, I have learned the lesson that I should have invested that enormous sum of money for bespoke orthotics, which may well have resulted in a pain-free experience this year.

So, on to today…It starts cold and very cloudy and dull. There is a mixture of quiet roads, busy roads and tracks to start the day. But soon enough we are on track through farmland which is most pleasant, except the loud voices of the four men who are walking behind me. They are virtually shouting to eachother and I find it takes me entirely out of the zone where I wish to be. This is exactly what I don’t want early in the morning walking in nature. So I stand aside and let them pass so that I can walk in peace again.

As I have already written, there are many more pilgrims on this route than I have experienced before. Lots of Spanish, French, Germans, Dutch, Austrian, Australian, North American, and a few Brits. There are probably many other nationalities that I haven’t yet discovered. The proportion of men to women is high, as usual, and there are quite a few couples.

There is a bit of light rain early on and I stop at a bar at around 12 km that is full of slightly soggy walkers. There’s another donativo cafe at 16 km and another opportunity a couple of kms further on.

The tracks are mostly beautiful through woodland, following the ridge of a steep valley. There have been some ridiculously steep climbs. My eyes constantly lie to me, telling me that the incline finishes at the next bend, or just a few metres ahead and my body so wants to believe my eyes, but it is almost never true. However I made it to the top in one piece.

The paths have been lovely to walk on – the recent rain has made them soft without, for the most part, making them muddy. The views over the valleys are marvellous revealing wide vistas of pine trees and green fields all topped off with threatening cloud. The sun hasn’t put in an appearance so far today and it is currently noon.

And about 12.05 it starts raining quite hard accompanied by a drop in temperature which makes it quite cold. I could even see my breath for a while!

After yet more steep climbs I finally descend into O Cádavo, my stage end for today. Not the most exciting or interesting town, but most small towns seem a bit sad in the rain. There is an abundance of albergues. Paul and I are staying in the municipal albergue, €8, reasonable kitchen, and sensible separate bathroom facilities, but very few power points. I find myself sleeping between two of the noisy men that I tried to avoid this morning, in a room for 10 where I am the only woman. Wonderful!

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo | 10 Comments

Camino Primitivo, Castro to A Fonsagrada, 21 km

Posted on 23/05/2022 by magwood

I forgot to turn on my Wikiloc app this morning so this is a link to the same stage from 2017

The day starts fresh but dry. Very soon after leaving the albergue I am directed onto a track, which is lovely and soft due to the rain, but luckily not at all muddy. After quite some time there is a longish stretch on the main road and then back onto tracks again, rising ever higher towards the wind turbines which are whizzing around with some speed.

I have dressed as normal in shorts, sleeveless T-shirt, arm warmers and scarf across my shoulders – knowing that there is to be a continuous climb for the first 8 or 9 km and also knowing that I get hot and bothered during such an exertion. Nevertheless I do feel rather chilly for a while.

The day starts fresh but dry. Very soon after leaving the albergue I am directed onto a track, which is lovely and soft due to the rain. After quite some time there is a longish stretch on the main road and then back onto tracks again rising ever higher towards the wind turbines which are whizzing around with some speed.

It remains dull with some low cloud, and some threateningly dark cloud but remains dry for the time being. I made an early start (7-ish) hoping to miss as much of the forecast rain as possible, but still not as early as very many others who had already departed before me.

The sun fights its way through at 9 o’clock, and now I have the opportunity to catch raindrop photos. It is a morning of raindrops and wind turbines.

And suddenly I’m in Galicia again. It’s odd that I didn’t notice the Asturias/Galicia border marker that I saw on the previous occasion. Maybe I was too busy looking for raindrops.

Suddenly it becomes cooler and the breeze is brisker and very soon it starts to rain. It’s 10:30 and it continues to rain until I arrive at my destination at 12:00. It isn’t hard rain, more of a misty drizzle, but the sort that can soak you to the bones. I pull on my rain cover and it works almost perfectly. There will be a slight adjustment I will make but it does a very good job at keeping my pack and bum bag completely dry. And my arms are free so I don’t get too hot and bothered.

I find it incredible that I can manage to walk at a pace today of 4.7 km/h and that’s including a lot of dawdling to take photos in the first half of this walk. Once I stop I can hardly put weight on my knee and it takes quite a few moments in order to gain any normal use. I did take anti-inflammatories and painkillers and as long as I kept going I didn’t have any problems. Our bodies are truly incredible.

I’m staying once again at the Albergue Cantábrico. Such a treat to be supplied with cotton sheets, pillowcase and duvet. With an excellent kitchen and laundry facilities it’s worth every centimo of €15.

Still, wherever you are staying it’s not much fun in the rain. More of the wet stuff is due tomorrow, hopefully not too much and not for too long.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo | 3 Comments

Camino Primitivo, Navia Emblase to Castro 12.25 km

Posted on 22/05/2022 by magwood

You can read my blog post from 2017 for the stage Campiello to Berducedo here

You can read my blog post from 2017 for the stage Berducedo to Castro here

Having made elaborate plans last night to skip the next glorious stage by sharing a taxi with a Dutch Pilgrim, I watched all the early birds pack up and leave and felt very odd, a bit uncomfortable really. And to add to that feeling of wrongness the day dawned cloud free with blue sky. However the weather forecast still shows a great deal of rain and the knee is still complaining quite vigorously.

One good thing about being the last to leave is that we can eat all the food that others have left behind so I breakfasted on scrambled eggs followed by yoghurt with jam. And now we are waiting for the taxi in the hot morning sunshine. I’m torn between wanting it to rain so that I can feel vindicated in my decision and not wanting it to rain for all the people that are crossing the mountain today. But nevertheless I think it is the right decision for my knee.

There are very many pilgrims on this route at the moment. Probably 20 in our albergue, there is another albergue in the village that would probably have a similar amount, and as we waited for the taxi many more people walked by.

When we are finally picked up at 10:00 it is strange and interesting to watch as the beautiful countryside speeds past. I can look out at times and see the Hospitales track over the steep valley. It really is so green and absolutely stunning. The taxi stops at Berducedo from where our Dutch friend is walking. But Paul and I have decided to continue to the dam on the Rio Navia leaving just over 12 km to walk and effectively missing one and a half stages.

There’s a 450m climb over 9 km and then the track flattens for the last 3+ km into the tiny hamlet of Castro. The walk from the reservoir starts on road with a diversion onto woodland track. Then after passing through Grandas de Salime there are a series of tracks through fields and woodland.

There is a huge clap of thunder at 13:30 but still no rain. The thunder rumbles on all the way to journey’s end and it starts to rain when I am a few hundred metres from my destination. Shortly afterwards the sky opens and drops all its contents in a deluge. Hopefully all pilgrims will be safely down from the high pass before this happens.

The albergue/youth hostal at Castro is a charming place, albeit not at all modern. But the atmosphere is lovely. They serve a variety of food and have a bar. It was even better last time I stayed when the weather was kinder and it was possible to make use of the garden. €12, advisable to reserve. Info on Gronze.com

My knee wasn’t too bad today once I got going and I shall attempt a full (but short) stage tomorrow. More rain is forecast – maybe it will hold off again until I reach A Fonsagrada 🤞🤞

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo | 7 Comments

Camino Primitivo, Tineo to Campiello 13.5 km

Posted on 21/05/2022 by magwood

Tineo is a rather strange town. Bustling on a Friday evening with lots of children running to the sweet shop and lots of parents running to the bar. It is a strange mix of very modern and quite old – the modern largely not very attractive and the old mostly in need of urgent renovation. But there are some beautiful historic buildings here and it was very friendly.

There is a short stretch on the road when leaving town but we are soon on dirt tracks through pasture land. It is lovely to see some ancient stone walls at last. For stages past there seems only to have been barbed wire partitioning.

The hedgerows alongside the track are full of beautiful wild flowers. I try not to duplicate my flower pictures (with the exception of course of aquilegia and foxgloves) but I guess there may be a few duplicates coming up today.

The path involves a lot of ups and downs as you might expect in a mountainous region, more ups than downs, which has become more comfortable for my knee since I have learned that it is much less strain on my body to suffer the discomfort of the first few steps with bent knee going uphill than keeping it straight.

As you can see from the photos there is a heavy low mist giving very limited views, which are stunning nonetheless. The mists are to be expected in this area. Due to my knee problem we have decided to walk a very short stage into Campiello today,only a few kilometres. After that we are very weather dependent. The weather forecast (see bottom of page) that I use shows heavy rainfall and thunderstorms from mid morning tomorrow. There is no fun to be had walking in heavy rain on any type terrain but it can become dangerously slippery when walking on steep slopes in wet weather. Also there is very little chance of getting accommodation in tomorrow’s planned short stage as one of the albergues is closed due to a family celebration and it seems that other accommodation in the town has been taken up with family guests.

Today I have transformed from tortoise to snail. Walking these unaccustomed short stages has been an eye-opener for me. Normally if walking with others they are likely to be like-minded as to the length of stage and mode of transportation i.e. on foot only. However I have come to realise that perhaps even the majority of people walking this route at this moment do not fall into that category.

It’s mostly a dull (as in dim, not boring) walk with not much light. But suddenly I see some sunlight coming through the trees and after I have walked a few more steps I can see that I have risen above the cloud line and the effect is absolutely staggering the peaks of the mountains in the distance are popping up above the clouds on which the sun is shining, giving the effect of a wavy sea – its just enchanting.

This has so far been the most stunningly beautiful walk and as I climbed higher and got above the cloud line there are dew drops for the first time on this camino. Long-term readers of this blog will know about my penchant for dew drops. I make exceedingly slow progress and I’m enjoying the prospect of this short stage with lots of photo opportunities to the utmost

Even the ladybird is covered in dew drops!

At 7 km there is a stretch along the road but there is a path running alongside. Very soon we are directed off the road onto a woodland track going downhill.

Everything on today’s walk is cause for joy. The flowers, the dew drops, low cloud, the ferns, the moss, the walls and the gnarly old tree trunks that the moss is growing on, absolutely everything is an absolute delight

At 8.8 km this camino sign is rather confusing. I couldn’t really work out which way it was advising to go, so I checked my track from last time and could see that I need to turn left.

It is the sort of day where my pack weighs nothing, the birds are singing just for me, the early fresh weather has turned to sunshine but it’s not too hot, and almost all (apart from my knee) is well with my world

The last few kilometres are along a fairly quiet road where there is a lot of farming activity going on with tractors whizzing by, collecting the harvest and delivering manure, and some gardeners out tending their plants. I had to congratulate one man on the splendour of his privet hedge which has given me an idea for mine at home.

We are staying at Albergue Ricardo, where I have stayed before. It has excellent bathroom facilities, good kitchen/dining area, sturdy bunks, washer/dryer and lovely courtyard. I have fond memories of this place and the lovely people I was walking with then.

I found this little bugger (tick) on my leg today, only the size of a pinhead

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo | 10 Comments

Camino Primitivo, Salas to Tineo 20 km

Posted on 20/05/2022 by magwood

We are in the woods almost immediately on leaving Salas on an ever upward climb. This is an area rich in spring water and there are channels trickling alongside the path most of the time, and now and then fuentes. We pop out of the woods for a short stint on the road and pass under the towering legs of a raised motorway, before being directed back onto a track.

I walk through the large town of La Espina at around 8 km where there are possibilities for refreshment, but I continue until I find a well placed bench by the side of a tiny chapel where I take a break to eat a snack.

My knee pain is a little reduced but still making itself very evident. I have managed to raise my pace from yesterday’s 3.6 to 4.2 kmph, still drastically slower than I would normally walk.

It is a lot cooler today with a blanket of high cloud and no sign of the sun. It does eventually put in an appearance, but it’s quite brief. I’m not complaining – I was still walking in a sleeveless T-shirt and shorts (as always) and it’s easier in cooler weather.

The outlook over the valleys is very very green and beautiful. Last time I came this way I saw a painted sign which said “how green is my valley” which was very apt. It wasn’t in evidence six years later.

At the village of El Pedregal at around 12 km I have a short walk on the very busy AS216. The village church provides a stamp for my credencial. Once I turn off onto a quiet country lane I see a guy up ahead, just standing on a bend in the road and looking towards me. He made me feel rather uncomfortable, but in fact he was the owner of an albergue in Tineo, my destination town and was catching pilgrims as they went by to tell them about it. He could see I was struggling and seemed very sympathetic.

There are lots of new mojones (camino marker bollards) along the way. I have to say ‘top marks’ for the tenacity of the people who have placed them often in quite difficult to reach situations. Thank you caminos friends.

I found these chopped logs just as I was looking for somewhere to take my second break – they made perfect perching stools

I finally limp into my destination town and reach the Albergue La Plaza. The same guy greets me sympathetically and leads me to the first room that is almost full, although there remain a couple of lower bunks. He asks if I would prefer a different room and takes me to a smaller empty dormitory with just four bunks. That will do me! The beds are excellent quality. The whole place is very clean there is a full kitchen and washing machine and dryer, a really good bathroom for each dorm – mine consisting of two loos, two handbasins and two excellent showers. And there is a terrace overlooking yet another valley. Very impressive. €10. I end up with two room mates.

I’ve been juggling ideas about how, or whether, to continue this camino. It’s no fun walking with my injured knee and there is heavy rain forecast for exactly when we most won’t want it – when walking over the high mountain pass on Sunday. There are in fact two options for the mountain stage -1 walking over the top of the mountain on the Hospitales route which I walked before, or 2 walking round the mountain which still involves a climb in order to meet up with the other route. Paul came up with the suggestion of taking option 2 over three short stages, hopefully missing the worst of the rain. I’ll give it a go and see how I feel at the end of each stage. If I’m not enjoying it, I’ll have no qualms about going home.

Maybe if I’d invested in a decent set of orthotics I wouldn’t have had knee trouble!