Heather’s Camino: A Short 42km Walking Day to Burgos
As Heather continues walking the Camino, she’s updated us on an epic few days of travel, a bit of stalking and the HEAT!! Burgos So, where was I? Well, what day is it? Oh , yes, let´s take it from Thurs night. I stop at a refuge in Viloria de Rioja, obviously a bit new-agey and ethnic and it turns out there are only two of us. A beautiful room, with wide beds and a few bunks. I open the shower room door and there´s Andrew! Oh, it was lovely to see someone I knew and we were the only two in the refugio. It was a superb night´s rest, talking to the hospitaleros who had also been hospitaleros on The Meseta for a long time. Now, if you´ve read The Alchemist, the plot thickens. There were pictures all over the walls, of Paulo Coelho who wrote The...
Happy Camino Birthday in Burgos and a Day Off Walking
Miles of walking and flying away from family and old friends, Heather celebrated her latest birthday with her new found “family”. Burgos Part 2 and Happy Birthday Time. Hallo, Tuesday I think, 3rd August. And I am up to date with ALL e-mails. That´s an achievement, and I owe its accomplishment to the fact that a) other people have siestas and b) I´m just doing short 20km days, so am arriving by afternoons. Not all refuges have coin-in-the-slot Internet. Well, these 20km days feel like a stroll in the park as I think I´ve already said to someone. As if I haven´t done anything. Let´s go back to Burgos – my head is full of exciting things to tell and you know how I can get sidetracked! As you remember I collapsed into Ulrike and Alessandro´s...
Azofra Offers New Meet a Criminal Service. Get your Skull Duggered Here!
Azofra is clearly the place to go to meet the local crims. Skulls get duggered and there’s even a demon subscription service being set up for the crossing of the Meseta. I’ll let Heather clarify. Skulduggery in Azofra!! Hi Everyone, I not sure that’s how you spell skulduggery. Anyway, I in (sorry, can stop laughing, this computer won let me do some letters or apostrophes)[Don’t worry, Heather I’ll sort it on an English keyboard – for a while anyhow!!]. Well you’ll have to puzzle out what I’m saying. [In fact I’m not going to sort it – it’s far more amusing the way it arrived! ;-)] So in a village of 230 inhabitants at 938 metres, at 18.15, it appears to be rush hour. Well I blowed if I can...
Descansar in Navarette! Heather’s Learned to Chill!!
Too flippin’ hot! Hallo! And I hope it’s not as hot for you as here. Even the Spanish and Italians can’t cope! Well, I think I left you when I was staggering around Lograno, trying to get my hip to work properly. In the morning, it was all fine. I followed the arrows out of Lograno (left at 8.am which is marginally better – Gill´s having a blue fit at the thoughts of these leaving-in-the-morning-times!), walked through the massive 5km park where the Spanish were out for their morning jog, run, cycle etc and on my own, when suddenly, I seized up. To use Joe Simpson´s words, I was stuffed. Terminado. Finito. What Ray would say would be. “You ok, Blue?” No, I definitely wasn´t. Well, there was a fine kettle of fish. I...
Trancendant Moments on the Camino de Santiago
On a pilgrim route steeped in history, surrounded by symbolism Heather experiences 2 of “those moments” in the same 24 hours. Just before her hips decide to play silly beggars. Estella to Los Arcos. Some good bits and some serious. But nothing too funny in this instalment. Its the feast day of St James / St Jacques / St Iago and at the first bar I go into for coffee, the service is on TV from Santiago Cathedral where, body and mind willing, I´ll be in a few weeks. I arrive at the Irache monastery and if you google it, you might find the webcam which shows the fountain – water one side, wine the other. As I don´t drink, of course, I didn´t have more than a sip. Much. Well, maybe two sips. A few minutes later, by the monastery is a table, a...
Fiesta on the Camino- Walking with a Hole in the Shoe to Estella
What happens when the pilgrims don’t like to party? It’s all here on Day 5 of Heather’s walk along the old pilgrim route “The Camino de Santiago”. Hola!. Probably a two-part chapter. 640 km to go and loving every minute. If you’re not au fait with kms, times by 5/8 to get to miles. (Sorry, not meant to be an insult. But do it in your head, never trust a calculator). So what was all that worry, planning, reading about prior to the journey? How was I going to find the albergues (pilgrim hostels)? … A flippin’ great sign over the door marked Álbergue, Heather! How will I find food? Bread shop? Supermarket? Cafes? It´s just Spain, not the Atacama desert. What on earth was all that worry and planning about? I...
Walking the Camino de Santiago With Heather – Pamplona
Heather has packed in a couple of days worth here; from Lancashire accents in central Pamplona to techno statues at Puenta la Reina and a few crafty commercials for … BAMBOO!? Lots of friends but where´s the family!! Hi everyone, So I´m walking around Pamplona, see, when I hear this voice shouting ´Hallo Heather´! Surreal! Just wonderful. Then I bumped into another of my new friends. I was just about to think I mught go to the cathedral again (museum of old instruments as well) when I bumped into a veritable host of friends who said it was closed; so we all went onto Cizur Menor (where?). Four euros a night! And help yourself to any food going, just put a bit of money in the box to cover it. Yesterday I heard the torrential rain in the night but set...