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Author: Colleen
Camino Road Trip (Part 2)
Road Trip Day 5 : Alarcón and Belmonte (Camino de la Santa Cruz)
Today was our last day with the castles and endless landscapes of Castilla-La Mancha and we were travelling through the lands of Don Quixote and El Cid. These vast plains are dotted with vineyards, almond and olive orchards, castles and windmills.
First stop was to one of the oldest castles in the region, again settled in a gorge on the Júcar River, Alarcón castillo rises above the flatlands and has its own natural moat. The area has been settled since prehistoric times and the first defences were built in the 8th century. Today the castle is home to a Parador but we’re not staying the night here. However we did make a quick stop in the village bar to warm up; we still have blue skies but gosh it really was cold today!
Continue readingCamino Road Trip (Part 1)
Normally when walking alone I choose an albergue for my bed but when I walk with Gerry he prefers private rooms; and his rule is that if there’s a Parador in town then we must take advantage of it… and who am I to argue?! Because of this rule we became a Parador Amigo, which means we get advance notice of any special offers (and a free glass of wine whenever we stay). The card is free so you should sign up.
We had advance notice of a special offer for December 2021 with rooms from 67€ a night! We had already planned to head south to Estepona in Southern Spain for Christmas so the offer simply meant that we could make a road trip of the journey… and this of course meant that I could plan a journey that would weave us in and out of some of the lesser known camino routes.
Continue readingDitch Pigs
It’s no secret that I love walking the Camino de Santiago. Over the years I have been fortunate to meet many folks who play a very active role in ensuring the camino routes that we know and love are well maintained and marked. There are other folks who create and support pilgrim accommodation and pilgrim support groups and others still who work to support the Pilgrim Offices in France and Spain.
One such pilgrim is Rebekah. She’s amazing! She has dedicated so much to the Camino and I so admire her. One the group that she organises each year is called Ditch Pigs. She puts out a call for pilgrims to gather and collect litter. She arranges funds, accommodation, food and transport and then she co-ordinates everything on the ground when we arrive… and she also collects litter! And I should add that this is just one of the many many activities that she undertakes throughout the year! You can find out more on her website… and you can also make a donation! https://www.peaceableprojects.org/about
Continue readingCamino Frances
Burgos to Santiago de Compostela
25 Days | 25 April 2022 – 19 May 2022 | 1180€
Day 1 | Meet in Burgos
Monday 25 April 2022 | hotel room for sole use | breakfast included
Burgos is one of the many historical jewels of the Camino with numerous monuments to be explored. It was originally founded at the end of the 9th century in a bid to repopulate the northern plains and it quickly became one of Castile’s most important cities. In the hills surrounding Burgos you’ll discover some of the oldest human settlements ever found and the Museum of the Human Evolution is well worth a visit.
We’ll meet in the afternoon and once we’ve checked into our hotel rooms we can explore or meet in one of the bars that line Plaza Mayor. In the evening we’ll have dinner together in a very nice restaurant I know near the cathedral and we’ll toast the start of our Camino adventure.
Camino Frances
From the French Pyrenees to the Spanish Navarra
10 Days | 14 April 2022 to 23 April 2022 | 395€
The Camino de Santiago, or the way of Saint James, is not one but many paths that lead to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela where it is said, the Apostle James is buried. There are hundreds of routes across Europe and five that lead directly into Santiago. The Camino Francés (French Way) is what most people think of when you mention the camino and is perhaps the most famous walking route in the world. In recent times, since its resurgence in the late 1990’s, the Camino Frances starts in the French village of St Jean Pied de Port and leads pilgrims over the Pyrenees into the Navarra region of Northern Spain and the incredible Pilgrim albergue and Monastery at Roncevalles.
Our Camino will follow one of the most beautiful sections of the Camino Frances and offers us a genuine taste of this most famous walk. We’ll start our adventure in St Jean Pied de Port in France and end in Logrono, the capital city of the Rioja region of Spain, full of fine restaurants, cafes, shops, museums and tapas!
Padron
Day 14 | Padron
Some of you know that once or twice a year I escort a group of pilgrims along the camino. In 2019 I had planned a group walk, pretty much like the walk we’d undertaken this year and one that included the boat ride to Padron. I’d pre-booked 10 seats on the boat with the assurance that they could be cancelled but had to be paid for in advance. Of course in 2019 there was no reason to think this would be a problem… but then covid came. The 200€ was never refunded, indeed my emails were never replied to but at the time that was ok and I just accepted that with national lockdowns many businesses along the camino would be suffering. I decided that I would not pursue a refund… it was gone… c’est la vie and I really didn’t mind.
Continue readingStone and Water
Day 13 | Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
A new day dawned and thankfully Gerry felt he would be ok to walk. One of the reasons for walking the Variant is the day that was to come. Everyone says that the coming stage is one of the most beautiful of all caminos; that is a big statement as we have walked some incredible stages so I had big expectations!
We had breakfast in our little casa, which I thoroughly recommend! And once we’d finished the lovely host drove us back to Armenteira and we set off back on the trail at the start of the Ruta da Pedra e da Agua (route of stone and water). Today is considered the second stage of the Spiritual Variant (but take my advice and stopover in Combarro!), it’s 22.7 kilometres long and the first 7 of those kilometres border the River Armenteira where we’ll get to spot over 50 ancient mills; some left in ruins and some in good condition thanks to a restoration programme.
Continue readingTaxi For Mr S
Day 12 | Armenteira
We’re not in Portugal or Spain but I am very much aware that I’ve not updated my blog in such a long time and also that our wanderings along the Portuguese Camino were never finished. There is a simple reason for this; we never finished.
As the heatwave sweeps across France, I decided I should stay inside in the cool and spend some time catching up. And we’ve had a few adventures since that walk and I’d like to share them too. Sadly this means that for those of you who follow my blog (and our travels) you’ll be getting quite a few notifications now and for this I apologise in advance.
Continue reading
Then We Walked 