wednesday September 30

We made it to burgos today in record time. An easy walk, but the stretches along the highway can be nasty. We are staying in a brand new albergue. It was not open last year, and is right downtown behind the cathedral in a fabulous location.

I finally had a decent nights sleep and am really feeling refreshed. We had paella at the albergue with our old Canadian friend that we haven`t seen in days. The place was over-run by a group of twenty from France who are travelling as a pack. it can be a bit overwhelming, but they are finished their touregrino vacation today.

We are heading out to explore the city. Tomorrow we start the Meseta.

Buen camino

tuesday september 29

I will try to make this quick. i am on someone elses nickel. Dinner in Belorado was a blast. gerry rounded up 12 or so of us for dinner and one of the Italian gals cooked. Pasta with eggplant and tomatoes, bread, a great israeli salad and beer and wine for the grand total of 3 euros each. There were six canadians at the table, and believe it or not three had graduated from Bishop's University. there were two gals from ottawa. one a musician, and the other a recent Oxford graduate. gerry and me, a really nice young man from montreal, and a devout separist from Quebec, working for the federal government(please, you are in or you are out) Although i suppose that he is probably much more representative of canadians in general.. we want to have our cake and eat it. A great time was had by all.

We left at the crack of dawn as usual, and did not get lost this time. the night sky was amazing. there was no light pollution and the stars were so bright you felt you could have reached skyward and touched them.

Big day of walking, but we are in Ages now. tomorrow we will reach burgos. if i am quick I will be able to get this in for free. Until tomorrow.

Buen Camino

Monday, September 28

We have arrived in Belorado and are staying at the same albergue as last year. It is a bit rough around the edges, no hot water at all, but wonderful hospitaleros and we will be able to cook a communal meal. A lot of our crew are only going as far as Burgos, so we won´t see many of them after tomorrow. One of our friends got bed-bugs last night in the spanking new albergue, so I have been giving him a hand with care. Everytime I scratch I freak out. This and lice. please no.

Santo Domingo is a really fabulous place. it is the 900th anniversary of the miracle. A chicken and a hen rose from the dead and they have been celebrating ever since. The albergue raises the fowl, and they are housed in the cathedral. And what a cathedral it is. Spectacular. The algergue had a state of the art kitchen and so we had dreams of a gourmet dinner....not to be, everything is closed on sunday in spain except for Panaderia´s where you can get bread, pastries galore, and candy. Things on a plate once again. This time with sardines for me!! It was amazingly busy, and there are two Paraodores there. These are luxury state run hotels that are just georgous. Perhaps we will treat ourselves at the end.

We had a bit of a problem this morning. We got lost. And I mean LOST. Not a hot clue where we were. You might think that a tour of the countryside would be pleasant, but it was dark, so we saw very little , and it added about five kilometres to our day. Boo hoo. All is well that ends well. We are ensconsed for the night and it should be fine.

Until next time.

Buen Camino

Sunday September 27

We are in Santo Domingo today. A short day of walking and we have arrived at a beautiful albergue. Better than a five star hotel. Brand new this year.
Logrono was a blast It was the festival of San Mateo and everyone one was out for the festivities. The city is beautiful and it was humming. When in Rome..as they say...so we joined in. We went out with our Irish friends and joined an American fellow for a feast. They had huge tents set up with long tables and food as far as the eye could see. Paella, octopus, calamari, huge hams the size of which I had never seen before, and of course wine..we are in the Rioja after all. A good time was had by all.
Yesterday was a long walk through the vineyards. The vines are swollen with sweet juicy grapes and the smell of wine-making is in the air. Gerry is developing his own Camino rhythm, and his beat is a little slowere than mine, so we start walking together in the dark of the morning where four eyes are better than two, but then we find our own groove.
Najera, last night, is a big albergue with one hundred bodies in a room. It is an older gang so the snoring is somethingto behold, but last night it wasn´t just the noise, but the smell. Don't these pilgrims shower?
Our friend from Paris showed up last night in terrible shape. You have never seen such feet. Someone took him to the hospital where they bandaged him up, but he is going to have to go home. I really feel badly for him as he is a devout Catholic, and this must be a test of his faith.
Dinner out was fabulous. I had grilled fish with roasted garlic, Gerry had lamb, we both had a big deliciuos salad and a bottle of wine, all for 17 euros. Can't be beat. We have the afternoon ahead to explore. Talk soon.
Buen Camino

Friday September 25

We have arrived in Logrono after a very pleasant day of walking. It has been sunny with a cool breeze.

Estella was a beautiful city. The alberque was as I remember it. Incense burning, crotchety hospitalero, and really close beds. We went out for dinner with a very nice gentlman from Paris, a fellow from Montreal and an Irish gal. Oh yes, and most importantly, beer in the vending machine.

The next day was hot and beautiful, and we left for Los Arcos. We managed to get lost twice, really very difficult to do given the waymarkings...much to the amusement of some of our young friends. Gerry stopped to pick up a brace for his knee. Memories of our Danish friend. In Los Arcos we decided to push on to Torres del Rio, but by the time we got to Sansol we figured we had better grab a bed as it iwas very busy and I thought that there was only one small private albergue. It turns out that there is a brand new albergue, but that too was full. There have to be double the pilgrims this year over last.
We cooked a communal meal and had a great time with the other pilgrims so all is well that ends well.
The line up for beds here in Logrono snakes down the block with more pilgrims arriving all the time. What is this about? I dread to see the numbers nest year given that it is a holy year.
We will join our Irish couple for dinner tonight. We are going out for Tapas. It is a wine festival here so it shoud be a good time. They are leaving tomorrow for Barcelona. We will miss them. She is a cellist, and they are tons of fun. All for now

Buen Camino

Wednesday, September 23 I think

We have arrived in Estella. The weather was absolutely georgous today. Sun, sun, and more sun,

There was a communication problem with my friend in Pamplona and we never did hook up. I don´t know whether I gave him the wrong day, or forgot to send the confirmation e-mail, but we arrived at his house and he was not there. Every cloud has a silver lining however, and it meant a very enjoyable evening in Pamplona. A beautiful, vibrant and clean city. Wine and pinxos-delicious, and the whole town was out in the evening. A state of the art hostel...better than a five star hotel. Hey N, even Miele washing machines!

It was off to Obamas yesterday---sorry, Obanos, the president did not invite me for dinner. Small town, very quiet. Past the almond orchards, the fig trees and the most glorious fields of red peppers. Things on a plate for dinner. Tomato, cheese, tuna and sausage.

Hope the good weather holds.

Buen Camino

Monday September 21

We got off to a great start on Friday. Montparnasse on time, found the right platform, and went when our track was called. Yikes. It was really difficult to find. No one to help, and the train, unbeknownst to us, went on forever, and was actually two trains. Finally found our seats and away we went. Just as we were approaching Bayonne, and realizing that we were never going to make our connection, the train kicked everyone off at Dax. Hundreds of people sitting on the platform with no information. Turned out that there was massive flooding and no trains could pass, so they were sending for busses. Talk about the perfect storm; a tractor -trailer overturned on the highway with traffic backed up 6 k, and no bus. We waited 5 hours. When we finally got to St. Jean it was close to midnight, all the hostels were closed and we had to find a hotel. First1-closed 2-closed. Third time lucky. A bite and to bed.

Saturday we decided that we would sleep in a bit and go as far as Orrison. Full, so we decided to go all the way to Roncessvalles. Long way across the Pyrenees in the rain, then driving rain and heavy winds, and fog. My hands were numb but we made it.

Day two to Larrasoanna was rain with heavy mud. Tough but we made that as well.

Now we are in Pamplona and will stay with Inaki tonight. We can´t find a laundromat so all our clothes are wet. Matbe he has a drier, if not we will hang,

Looking forward to the sun.

Buen Camino