Camino Day No. 18

Camino Day No. 18

El Burgo Ranero to Arcahueja

Today Kms: 30 Todate Kms: 463
To Go Kms: 401

Walkers: #JustMe


Hola !

A very Early Start:

A lovely ramble to Reliegos through rolling countryside:

Time to meet a new friend:

And on to Mansilla de las Mulas.

For statues:

#JustRelaxing !!

Gates:

And Squares:

Just time for a spot of well-deserved Lunch:

#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

Camino Day No. 17

Camino Day No. 17 - Sunday 

Terradillos de los Templarios to El Burgo Ranero

Today Kms: 31
Todate Kms: 433
To Go Kms: 431

Walkers: #JustMe

There's a hint of Autumn in the air on the Plain of Castile, which is some 3,000 feet above sea level.
And a hint too as the leaves start to turn golden:

 Saint Nicolas del Real Camino

The fields still stretch into the far distance:

There are amazing monastery gates:

Santa Benito in Sahagun

And yet more statues:

For those of you following the Stats, you'll have seen that Todate Kms: 433 now exceeds To Go Kms: 431.
As I walked into El Burgo Ranero this afternoon there was only the one song to play.


Written by Carole King & Gerry Goffin, it was a massive Hit in the Summer of 1961 for Billy Fury:

Halfway to Paradise 
So near; yet so far away

#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

Rest Day No. 3

Rest Day No. 3 - Saturday

I'm spending today in Moratinos:

A sleepy hamlet of barely a dozen houses, it is the perfect spot to re-charge the Batteries: physical, mental & iPhone !

The third of my five Rest Days, today does feel like Half Time.
(Strictly in terms of kilometres that will be at the end of Monday.)

So what can I tell you about the Camino - #ForeverYoung trip so far?

In two words:
Distance
Rhythm

Distance

As you may know the whole walk of some 860 kilometres is the equivalent of London to Newcastle & back.
Or Bristol to Aberdeen if you don't want to come back!

Spain is a vast country, relatively unpopulated with just 92 people per square kilometre.
Compare: England at 420 & the UK at 270.

As you trek across the Plain of Castile, the road ahead can seem endless:

In this part of Spain the cities are every 150 kilometres or so; about a week's walking.

It can feel that progress - even averaging 25 kilometres per day -  is snail like.
But the Michelin guide book (which stops at Santiago, not Finisterre) shows decent progress after three weeks:

I don't know if Confucius ever walked the Camino, but he was right when he said:

Rhythm

I've settled into a now well-practised daily rhythm.

Boots on the Ground by as soon after 08.00 hours as possible.
This way you get a couple of hours - maybe 10 kilometres - before the day warms up.

I have been blessed by wonderful weather. Just one wet morning so far; Day 4 leaving Pamplona.
It is a real privilege to be Outdoors in such gorgeous  weather.

Coffee break with a 🍌
Perhaps a soft drink break
Sandwich for lunch

Plenty of water as you go

And - as the sun is at its hottest from 14.00 to 16.00 hours - hopefully finishing the walk around 14.30 to 15.00 hours.

A LARGE 🍺
The daily blog
Dinner

And  8+ hours sleep

It is very much one - & just one - day at a time.

Such looking further ahead is little more than thinking about the next Rest Day ... & the Washing !!

But there is a  feeling of Continuity too.

In the week that he died, the quote from Tom Petty said it all:

--

Coming up next: Week 4
The longest week at 172 kilometres.

It is off to Leon.

You know Leon, don't you?
It is where the Kings come from:

See you soon !

#BuenCamino , Pilgrim Piper

Camino Day No. 16

Camino Day No. 16 - Friday

Carrion de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios

Today Kms: 28
Todate Kms: 402
To Go Kms: 462

Walkers: Barry

Hola !

An early start :

It is 17 Kms straight along the Via Aqitania, part of the Roman Road which linked Astorga ( now Leon) & Bordeaux.

Uber were out & about offering Lifts:

As usual, there was a statue or two:

And Barry's Last Beer:

For you, Pilgrim Lambourne, the Camino is over !!

HUGE thanks to Barry & Sally for being such fantastic hosts this week.

So Week 3 ends.
134 Kms walked  in the 5 days.

Tomorrow: Rest Day 3

It must be time to pen my Half Time report ...


#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

Camino Day No. 15

Camino Day No. 15 - Thursday

 Boadilla del Camino to Carrion de los Condes

Today Kms: 25
Todate Kms: 375
To Go Kms: 490

Walkers: Barry

It was Boots On The Ground by 08.30 as we set off from the Church of Neustra  Señora de la Asunción in Boadilla:

We were soon strolling by the side of the Canal de Castilla:

In Frómista we called into a Pharmacy for essential supplies:

Lunch was taken just outside Villalcazar de Sirg

All along The Way there are wonderful sculptures.
Near Buniel where we are staying this week is The Resting Pilgrim:

And just outside Frómista is one they call ...

The Joker:

#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

Camino Day No. 14

Camino Day No. 14 - Wednesday

Hontanas to Boadilla del Camino

Today Kms: 26
Todate Kms: 350
To Go Kms: 515

Walkers: Barry, Marj

Leaving Hontanas we took a Route Check:

& Sally

Getting there !

There was one Big Hill: up to Alto de Mostelares.
The views back to Castrojeriz are spectacular:

Barry  & Marj (on her last Camino stroll) were in fine form heading from Itera la Vegas to Boadilla:

Out on the Camino it is easy to feel you are In The Bubble.

But we do have access to the Real World.
Every morning I download The Times app ... & look at the Obituaries!

Today the lead obituary was Tom Petty.

Aged 10 he shook Elvis's hand.
His best friend in the music industry was Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac.
He was a Travelling Wilbury with Beatle George, Dylan & The Big O.

Like all great Rockers, Tom kept on performing. He played the Hollywood Bowl last week.
"Why would I quit? The Band is playing better than ever "

And the one Tom Petty song for the Desert Island?

It just has to be: I won't back down

"You can stand me at the Gates of Hell;
And I won't back down"

On the day that Steve Coogan (aka Alan Partridge) won his case in the High Court for phone hacking against Mirror Newspapers, I remembered that I too have stood outside those Gates;
And I didn't back down.

With 515 kilometres to go ... No sign of any backing down  !!


#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

PS

#JustRelaxing

Camino Day No. 13

Camino Day No. 13 - Tuesday

Villabillal  to Hontanas

Today Kms: 25
Todate Kms: 324
To Go Kms: 541

Walkers: Barry, Marj & Sally

Sally & Barry were out on the Camino for the first time.

There was a feeling of Autumnal Mists & Mellow Fruitfulness as we set off from Villabillal:

We stopped outside Rabé de las Calzada at the Neustra Señora del Monasterio, where we were given Miraculous Medals.

A few minutes later we were on to the plain of Castile, where trees are as scarce as flags on the Moon:

A sandwich lunch was taken in Hornillos del Camino on a bench over looking the cockerel in the village square:

We ended our day at the delightful sleepy-hollow village of Hontanas:

Sitting drinking our Good Boy beers, the sign behind us gave the essential message of the Camino:

Onward !!

#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

Camino Day No. 12

Camino Day No. 12 - Monday

Agés to Bergos & on to Villabillal

Today Kms: 30
Todate Kms: 298
To Go Kms: 566

Walkers: David & Marj

The first day of Week 3.

It was good to welcome David & Marj on their first day on the Camino:

The day started with 12 Kms through rolling countryside.
We met some Wild Animals along the way:

The Shepherd didn't look much in control !

The guide book describes the route into Burgos  - a city of 180,000 people, the size of Portsmouth - as An Urban Slog; & it is !

But the town centre is magnificent.

Wonderful squares:

And the only UNESCO World Heritage Centre cathedral in Spain:

David  & I pushed on - ahead of Schedule - the 6 Kms to Villabillal for a beer overlooking the church:

Tomorrow will be 6 Kms shorter !



#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper

Rest Day No.2

Hola !

It is Rest Day No.2.

A chance to rest, re-charge the batteries (physical & mental) ... & get up to date with the Washing !

This week I will be based in Buniel, a small town about 10 Kms to the SW of Burgos.
Sleepy little place:

I am staying with Sally & Barry Lambourne & their 3 dogs:

During the week we'll be joined for a few days by their elder son David ( in photo above) & by Marj, from the Bickley Ladies Book Club .

Yesterday I had my last ever Ramble with my faithful old boots which had seen me through  600 Miles in the Legs training & the first 250 Kms on the Camino:

I've been wearing the new boots today, beginning the process of wearing them in:

Monday: Agés to Bergos


#BuenCamino , Pilgrim Piper

Camino Day No. 11

Camino Day No. 11 - Saturday

Belorado to Agés

Today Kms: 27
Todate Kms: 268
To Go Kms: 596

Walkers: #JustMe

Hola

A walk on my own today!

A church in the rocks at Tosantos:

A view towards Villafranca Morotes de Oca:

The forest of Oak & Pine stretches -
via Alto de Valbuena - for 12 Kms to San Juan de Ortega.

The walk ended at the picturesque village of Agés where David Lambourne collected me:

So Week 2 ends; 150 Kms walked across some beautiful countryside.

On to Week 3...
First though Sunday is a Rest Day !!


#BuenCamino, Pilgrim Piper