San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

April 29, 2016 Friday

A Long Walk to Burgos and a Rest Day    Walking Day #12

The walk today from San Juan de Ortega to Burgos is a generally flat 26 kilometers (16 miles) walk, with one very steep, fairly long (almost a kilometer), and very rocky uphill. As with the walk into San Juan de Ortega, the day's walk started in the forest, and while it was a cold morning, it was beautiful and crisp out. For the second day in a row, we could see our breath as we walked leaving San Juan de Ortega.

San Juan de Ortega (a small town population 20) is named for Saint John of the Nettles who was a disciple of Saint Dominic and also built chrches, hospitals for pilgrims, bridges, and hostels throughout this rea to improve the Camino for pilgrims. In 1150 he founded an Augustinian monestary in this town, now named for him. The chapel is dedicated to San Nicolas de Bari who allegedly saved San Juan from drowning on his way back from pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The Camino in the forest after leaving San Juan de Ortega and walking in the brisk cool morning. Someone said it was 7 degrees (about 40 fahrenheit) when we left San Juan de Ortega; I was very glad that I had gloves, a scarf, and a hat.

This is just the start of the long, steep, rocky climb up the only significant hill today. I did not get more pictures because I was busy trying to get up the hill.

On the way down the hill, I found one of the older-style way markers on a stone wall of a farm building of some kind (maybe an ancient silo structure).

The last farmland before getting to Orbaneja and the suburbs of Burgos. A challenge a little further on was that the path splits into two routes into Burgos, really three. One route goes along a busy city street in a long industrial area for over 6 kilometers. The second splits off at a village called Opción and is not well marked but bypasses the industrial area (the split is not marked at all). The third path splits from the second where it crosses under highway N-120, and has become the favorite route into Burgos, going along a river and into a long park.

I was by myself, saw no signs indicating Opción, and continued following the very few yellow arrows. Soon I encountered a pilgrim-looking hiker coming towards me, and I was concerned that I was  going the wrong way. This pilgrim was from Belgium, had walked from his home through all of France, then across Spain to Santiago de Compostela. He was now walking home, with about two months to go. He assured me that I was on the correct path, and seemed to indicate that the fork to take to follow the river route was ahead. I must not have understood him correctly, for I soon figured out later I was far past that fork. The walk into Burgos was tedious in the industrial area. The road was long and straight for kilometer after kilometer, and the road busy with large trucks.

Occasionally I saw a marker in the walkway. And occasionally I saw a yellow arrow on a signpost. But the walk itself was long and very tiring. I stopped to consult my map, wanting to make sure I did not miss the place where the other route merged with my route. I finally got through the industrial area, into a business district, and thought I was about three kilometers away. I wanted to find the Arch of San Juan, that is the entry into the old city, and from there, I could find my hotel. I asked a few people, and got very misleading directions, and I am pretty sure I ended up far off the path. I saw a building in which there was a line of taxis in front, and asked the first driver if he could take me to my hotel - he knew it exactly, and for 3 or 4 Euros, I got a ride the last 2 kilometers. I was not that far away, but given the number of turns he made, and that there are no street signs visible, I could not have found it myself.

The Hotel Cordon in Burgos, Spain. I was so happy to get here! I will have a rest day in Burgos to recharge a bit before continuing on over the meseta.

A view down one of the old city streets in Burgos. It is very deserted as this is siesta time; everything is closed from 2 to 4:30 or 5:00, and many restaurants do not open until 7:30 or 8:00.

A big attraction in Burgos is the main cathedral. It is said that it is the most elaborate in all of Europe. I will visit inside tomorrow during my rest day.

The Arch of Saint Mary, on one approach from the south to the main cathedral.

And a view of the cathedral itself from the outside. I will spend some time here tomorrow.

Next: Rest day in burgos and the cathedral

Belorado to San Juan de Ortega

April 28, 2016 Thursday

An Uphill Walk to San Juan de Ortega    Walking Day #11

Today started out somewhat cold; we could see our breath in the air as we started walking through Belorado. The weather prediction was for rain or snow, and I was hoping we would at least get close to the end before it started raining.

Walking through the small town of Belorado, I looked for way markers on the sidewalks, but saw none. The Camino route through this small town is marked mostly with yellow painted arrows on curbs, the ground, or on signposts.

Being that Belorado is a small town, we were very quickly out in the farmland again. I am walking today with Don and Beth, a couple about my age from the western half of Virginia (far away from the Washington, DC area).

The lush, expansive farmland stretches as far as you or the camera can see.

This is one of the older way markers, a blue and yellow tile set into a concrete post. This one is old and quite faded, and has a charming age to it, one of many reminders of all the pilgrims who have walked this exact route before us. We are carrying on a long tradition going back more than a thousand years.

The farmland continues all around. This area is no longer vineyards, but grain crops, mostly wheat.

The church in a little town of Villafranca Montes de Oca at about the half-way point in my walk for the day (12 kilometers from Belorado). Immediately after passing the church the path goes up a hill, very steep, muddy, slippery, and a fairly long climb (probably 400-500 meters long). We are now making a change from the farmlands to the forest.

This part of the forest is predominately oak trees. On the right is a young lady Kelly from Brazil that I have encountered and walked with several times over the past week. She told me she first heard about the Camino when she was 15 and wanted to walk it, and now, more than 20 years later, she is doing it.

This picture shows a steep downhill section followed by a steep uphill section. This part of the walk is not at all flat.

And then the forest changes to this pine forest, quite dense. The path on which we are walking appears to be a long natural clearing in the forest. Many years of pilgrims walking on the path have probably prevented the encroachment of the forest over the path, keeping the path clear.

Most of my walk today was by myself, not uncommon for everyone on the Camino. And even when you walk with someone, often it is a quiet walk with only very occasional conversation. A few people have asked, "what do you think about," to which my only answer is that I do not really know. Thoughts come, thoughts go; it is similar in some ways to a meditation.

One thought I did have a few days ago was about Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to successfully climb Mount Everest in 1953 with his sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. (They never revealed who actually reached the top of the mountain first.) Hillary is quoted as saying, "It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."

On my first day walking the Camino from Saint Jean Pied de Port in France over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles in Spain, I contemplated that my feelings about the difficulty of the climb may have been similar to what Hillary may have been thinking: Will I ever reach the top? Can I even take the next step? Should I stop here and just give up? The beauty of nature around me, the wildlife (wild horses, eagles, vultures), the comraderie of my new friends - these things and my desire to conquer my own fears and self-doubt allowed me to continue. And it was a glorious day; difficult, but glorious. 

Today is much easier than that first day, but also difficult in some ways. The beauty of nature here is never in short supply. In some sections, the forest is close on both sides, almost like a tunnel through the trees.

Then, almost suddenly, as we descent gradually into what appears to be a river valley, the forest opens up and farmland appears again. In the distance, about 2 kilometers away is San Juan de Ortega, a small town with a poplation of 20, one albuergue, one hotel, and one church. 

The church at San Juan de Ortega. It is undergoing a rather massive reconstruction.

And on the short stretch of brick sidewalk, here is one of the way markers at San Juan de Ortega - instead of 10-12 inches across, it is 6-7 feet across, so big that I missed the first one (there are about 5 on the short sidewalk by the church).

I am staying in the hotel, and resting. This was another really beautiful day on the Camino de Santiago.

Next: Walking to Burgos and a rest day.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

April 27, 2017 Wednesday

An easy 22 kilometers to Belorado    Walking Day #10

Today was an easier day from Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado, only 14 miles. I laugh as i wrote that because in most other contexts, walking 14 miles would not be prefaced with "only." But here on the Camino, it was an easier day, partly because of the distance, but mostly because of the relatively gently rolling terrain -- no steep or long uphills or downhills.

At breakfast, I read a little about Saint Dominic. In the 11th century, he dedicated his life to improving the route for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela by building roads and bridges. He built a pilgrims hospital which became an albuergue (hostel) and he built the church in town which evolved to become the cathedral. So the winding streets of the ancient town of Santa Domingo de la Calzada are very intimately linked to the camino. 

A view inside the cathedral at Santo Domingo de la Calzada. It was very dark. The flash on this camera came through and you can almost see the beauty of this small church in a town of 7000.

Walking from my hotel back a few blocks to the Camino, I passed this "Camino art" as I call it:

Several towns have Camino art. Always a little different, and mostly depicting the scallop shell symbol of the Camino de Santiago.

Leaving town, I am struck by how similar and how different the towns mark the way in the town for the pilgrims. I'll start photographing these every day so you can see the similarities and the differences. Here is one of the markers in the sidewalk in Santo domingo de la Calzada:

A very common marker is seen on the path itself, and there may have been a photo or two of this one, which we see every day, and at times it is a welcome sight when you wonder if you might have gone off the correct path:

Almost always, where the symbolic scallop shell lines come together points the direction to go. These lines represent the many Camino paths, and the point where they meet represents Santiago de Compostela. So absent an arrow (and most of these signs have the scallop shell depiction only), you go to the convergent point. In the picture above of the marker on the sidewalk, you would go up in the picture.

Today was another day walking through vast lush farmland.

Into large expanses of what look like wheat farms, a few kilometers before Grañon.

Way markers on the sidewalk in Grañon, about 7 kilometers from Santo Domingo de la Calzada. As I said earlier, different, but similar.

Just after the small town of Grañon, we pass from the La Rioja and its vineyards into Castilla y León, the largest autonomous region of Spain. We will spend 50% of the Camino travelling through three of the nine provinces of Castilla y León: Burgos, Palencia, and León. This includes the incomparable Meseta, a predominately flat plateau region that makes up a third of the Iberian peninsula lying between 1000 and 3000 meters in elevation following the line of the Duero river basin. This region is known more for cereal crop farming, mainly wheat, but also some oats.  

Leaving Grañon, we are again into large expansive wheat farms. I think I'll be seeing these for at least a couple of weeks.

More wheat farms almost as far as one can see as we approach Belorado. And finally in Belorado, I found my hotel, seen below:

After a nice hot shower, I was able to wash clothes. The drier is very energy-efficient, hanging the clothes out over the Camino path for all to see. When I went to collect my clothes, this clothesline was full. Very nice.

A photo of the main cathedral in Belorado. I wanted to see inside, but it was closed. I'll see if it is open in the evening. As I have said (I think), everything closes from about 1:30 PM until 4:30 or 5:00. Then businesses stay open until 9 or even 10 PM. And this includes banks and the post office which are usually open until at least 8 PM. when arriving in a town in the middle of the afternoon, if you want to buy something, you must be patient. It is even difficult getting a late lunch, as most of the bar/cafés are closed. I have been lucky, and have always found one or two still open.

On my way to dinner (held at a local albuergue), I saw some ladies going into the church, walked over and asked them if I could take a photo in the church. They were happy to let me in. I think they were doing some cleaning or something; it appears that the floor are under reconstruction at the vestibule and much of the nave. But they allowed me in and to photograph as they watched me, maybe a little surprised at the request.

The sanctuary of the cathedral at Belorado. Quite beautiful; I am sorry I was not able to get closer to show more of the detail. Too often as we pass through the smaller towns and villages, the churches are closed. I am hoping more will be open as we go through larger towns and cities.

Next: Belorado climbing up, up hill to San Juan de Ortega (population 20)

Nájeras to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

April 26, 2016 Tuesday

A Walk to Santo Domingo de la Calzada    Walking Day #9

Today's walk was a little shorter than I had thought before I read over the guidebook. Yesterday was about 30 kilometers (20 miles), and today, the distance from Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada is a mere 20 kilometers (13 miles). And there is to be only one major hill, and it does not look too terribly bad. I was trying to figure out a way to show the elevation maps here, but I have not had a lot of time to research that yet.

[For this blog, because I have to carry everything, I am using a Samsung Android tablet instead of a laptop computer because it is lighter. Much about the tablet is a learning process for me. When I figure out how to select, edit, copy, and paste the relevant parts of the elevation maps, I'll be posting them.]

The route from Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada is again through rich green sweeping vineyards and farmland. Below is part of the walk a little out of Nájera as we are completely into the farmland after leaving the small town.

These are mostly farm roads, and sometimes a tractor or other farm vehicle comes along, and we must get out of the way. The farmers in the vehicles seem to be friendly, waving and saying Buen Camino most of the time.

Today I am again walking with Maria from Dana Point with her friends, Guilliame from Paris and Carla (another yoga instructor) from Brazil. Carla and I talked a bit about yoga, and she told me that she has two daughters, 19 and 21, attending college in the U.S. near or in Chicago. Her "empty nest" feelings drew her to the Camino to contemplate the next phase of her life and her yoga after a few injuries.

Here we are going down a bit into a small valley. The so-called "flat" days like today are not really flat; everything is rolling, up hill and downhill. Regardless, the vistas are stunning and the scenery beautiful. I have used those words many times, and probably will many more - it is really hard to find the right words; many things in this set of experiences are almost beyond words.

The Camino is difficult, difficult in a way that is hard to describe. We all can walk, and we can all see ourselves walking for a distance. Walking up and down hill for 20 miles is more difficult. That first day from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles was far, far more difficult than I had imagined, even knowing that it might be the hardest day on the Camino. My legs hurt, my knees hurt, my feet hurt, and I was exhausted. When I got to Roncesvalles, I do not think I could have climbed the stairs to my second floor room, I was so thankful there was a lift (as they say here...an elevator).

At the same time, that first day was one of the most exhilarating days of my life. The views and the scenery were magnificent. Green lush farmland, wild horses, eagles, hawks, and many vultures (the vultures were especially beautiful as they soared effortlessly above us for a time). We were up in the clouds, and there was snow around; it was beautiful. I felt uplifted as I was walking with new friends sharing the beauty around us.

And walking day after day after day can be a grind. But the beauty of the scenery, and the friends sharing the experience lift your spirits.  It is just great.

Here, near the top of this rise, is a bit of forest. In the foreground is a vineyard and that appears to be a type of wheat beyond.

Along the road here is this smaller waterfall. Because of recent rain and plenty of water, the sound is nice.

And the road just keeps going, on and on, through the valley, and up over the next rise.

Here the road is going up a hill surrounded and sheltered by high brush on one side and wildflowers on the other.

In the small town of Cirueña there is this bit of what could be called pilgrim art - a sculpture of a pilgrim walking towards a large shell (the symbol of the Camino). From this little town, there is only about 5 or 6 kilometers to go to Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

And coming over this rise, we can see Santo Domingo de la Calzada in the background, far, far ahead.

In Santo Domingo de la Calzada, this is the entrance to the main church. It is closed now. Everything in town is closed for the daily siesta time.

I found my hotel, and went about my almost daily routine after the walk:

1. check in, get a hot shower
2. find a place to get laundry done (or hand it over to the hotel if they do it)
3. find a place to get a snack, maybe a cold drink (maybe a Coca-Cola), and sit and rest for a little while and write in my journal
4. have dinner
5. repack everything, get things out for tomorrow
6. check e-mail, etc.
7. sleep

The same general routine every day, and it is different every day. 

Next: Another "short" day, only 14 or 15 miles to Belorado

Logroño to Nájera

April 25, 2016 Monday

The long walk from Logroño to Nájera    Walking Day #8

Today was a very long day of walking in terms of distance, 28 kilometers from Logrono to Nájera in the La Rioja area of northern Spain. This is the wine country, and the vineyards were around us all day.

We started walking from Logroño, a busy city of over 150,000 population. We will be walking to a much smaller city of Nájera, population 7000.

The walk out of the city was on a long park where we encountered many locals out walking, running, and cycling. I am walking for part of the day with Maria, a yoga instructor from Dana Point, California. Maria worked in marketing for the Whole Foods company for over 15 years and is taking time away from work to travel, complete her yoga teacher training, and do other things that have been on hold. Maria is walking slower than my usual pace, but I wanted to start slowly today to ensure that my right knee problem does not return.

I have been meeting very interesting people on the Camino, and because we all share the suffering of the long walks with the uphills, downhills, rocks, etc., we all become almost instant friends, bonding over the trials of the journey. More people than I expected are having problems, mostly with their feet. I am grateful that I only have had one blister, and my right lower Achilles tendon is often sore, but only superficial pain compared to others.

Soon we were by a lake or maybe it is a reservoir for the city. It was a nice contrast to the buildings of the city and the large expansive vistas we have been seeing.

And soon we were back into the farmlands, here they are vineyards. These vineyards go on and on and on, just like the seemingly never ending uphill the first day from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles.

We stopped for a lunch break at a little town of Navarette (population 2200), and then proceeded onwards, into the vineyards surrounding the town.

We soon came upon this sign saying "A Santiago 592 km." If true (and why would it not be true?), then we have walked just over 200 kilometers. When we started, there were over 800 kilometers from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela. So 200 kilometers equals about 125 miles, or about 1/4 of the way to Santiago. There is much walking to be done, but this is a nice milestone.

And all along the way into Nájera were more vineyards. Almost all of the walk today was on dirt/gravel roads (farming roads), with only a few very short sections on asphalt or on city streets.

And in Nájera, I found my hotel, the Duquese Nájera Hotel. After a long, long walk, I got a shower, changed clothes, left my laundry for the hotel to do (for 6 Euros), and went to a local bar/cafe to have a Coca-Cola and write in my journal. I did not get much writing done, as people I knew from past days of walking kept coming in to the same bar/cafe -- Nikki from Colorado, Paul from New Zealand, Hanz from Germany, and others.

Dinner was to be at 7:30, and when I went into the restaurant, I was invited to join Holly from England (the British Airways Airbus A380 pilot) and her friends Claire the opera singer from Paris and Leslie from Chicago. Dinner was fun - a typical 3-course pilgrim's menu: starter (I had a green salad), main course (I had pork loin with french fries...everything here comes with french fries), and desert (all of us had the chocolate torte). They shared a bottle of local wine, and I had sparkling water. A great meal and great fun.

It was a long day of walking, but because it was cool, the day was good for walking. Everyone was tired, and hungry as was evident from the many empty plates returning to the kitchen.

Next: Second long walking day in a row, walking to Santa Domingo de la Calzada

Los Arcos to Logroño

April 24, 2016 Sunday

A long walk from Los Arcos to Logroño    Walking Day #7

At the end of today I shall have been on the Camino for one full week. Today was to be a little more of a flat day than some recent days, with one large hill and then rolling ups and downs over a few small river valleys.

I started the day walking alone, hoping to catch up with Paul from New Zealand, but I think he left the hotel after me. I did catch up to my friend Kate from Sacramento. Kate is struggling with blisters, and reported that they are getting better. I was fine with a slower pace, so I walked more than half of the 30 kilometers with Kate, and we had a good time talking, and sometimes not talking. 

We were to be traversing a few river valleys surrounded by rich farmland, so the views and scenery were quite beautiful. We are getting into Riojas now, a major wine-producing region, so vineyards are gradually taking over from the wheat and other crops we have been seeing. Here is a view across a valley. We will be on the other side shortly.

And the road just keeps on going, down and up, up and down. Most of the path today is on dirt/gravel farm roads, not very much asphalt or concrete (although later today there is a stretch of about 2 kilometers (1-1/2 miles) where we will be walking on the shoulder of a minor highway).

Along with more vineyards, I am also seeing more olive trees, as in the photo below. Also note that is a large agave partially behind the leftmost olive tree; I did not think I would see desert plants here, but you never know.

A vineyard on the side of the hill. If you get closer, you can see green growth at the tops of the branches. It is springtime, and the grapes will be coming.

Down through another river valley, and soon to be going up the other side.

The good news today is that my knees are better. My left knee was hurting after the first day, especially on the downhills. It was bad enough that if it had not gotten better, I would have had to stop walking. As my left knee felt stronger and had less pain, my right knee became worse than my left knee had been. I was getting a little worried, but today, both knees are fine. My only problem remaining is my right Achilles tendon just above my ankle. It is hurting with every step. Using my hiking poles more aggressively has helped my knees. I am hoping it will help my right Achilles also.

Below is an interesting church in the town of Viana we passed through. This is a town of only 4000 people, and that is a big church.

Along the way is sometimes seen "Camino" graffiti.

And coming up a hill between two large rock retaining walls. We are getting close to Logroño now, just 4-5 kilometers to go. This has been a very long day of walking, but as has been every day, the views and the scenery are beautiful and make one forget their tired feet and legs, 

One last vineyard before Logrono. I stopped taking pictures, because I want to get to the hotel, get a shower, find a place to wash clothes, and rest.

I did find the Hotel Marieta, got checked in, got a shower, and went down the street to a laundromat. Yay! It is Sunday, and most stores and businesses are closed. The laundromat really is self-service, so I got change, put my clothes into the washer, and read about tomorrow's walk from Logroño to Najera. I will be walking from a city of 150,000 people to one of 8,500. And 80% of the walk tomorrow will be on natural pathways, very little pavement. And it will be another up and down day.

Marking my end of a full week of walking the Camino de Santiago was another beautiful day. I am hoping some of my new friends, Kate, Holly, Marylou the Canadian, the Korean girl, and others having foot problems are finding recovery so they can enjoy all of this beauty around us. This part of northern Spain is quite stunningly beautiful.

Next: Another up and down day from Longroño to Najera