We had a great night in Burgos and then headed out along the busy road through Tardajos and continued on to Rabe. A superb town with Wifi in the main street, and a great cafe, an important stop before heading off through the meseta again to Hornillos. Its a great walk, described in some places as desolate but peaceful trails away from the roads work for me. The next day we left Hornillos and walked to Castrojeriz, stopping for breakfast at Hontanas. That was a long stretch, the albergue at San Bol offered a breakfast but funny how 200m off piste looks so far. Silly really when you walk 4000m to the next cafe! We were spoilt for choice when we arrived at Hontanas. There were three cafes and the obligatory shop and fountain on the way out of town. Its only a few steps after the last cafe but as usual when its a long stretch to breakfast you eat , drink and make merry.
Day 18, Day 19 Burgos, Rabe, Hornillos
8 11 2011Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: "the way", "the way" "santiago de compostela" "camino", 0'Cebriero, burgos, burgos cathedral, Camino WiFi, cathedral, day 18, Day 27, Hornillos del camino, meseta, Rabe de las Calzadas, The way of St James, wifi, yellow arrows
Categories : 420km-660km
We’re off again – Well Dancin Al is
6 06 2011September 16th friday night party at Prestonfield in Edinburgh , all welcome just give me notice and I’ll give you a ticket, and the schedule after that is simple.
Leave Monday 19th and arrive St Jean Pied du Porte
Arrive Logrono Sept 28th and easy short walk to Navarette 29th
Burgos October 5th so if you fly to Madrid get the train, I’ll meet you at the station and if you want to join me for a stretch of the way – you’ll be welcome. Or you might’ve joined me at Logrono and the walk to Burgos is like a mini camino but avoiding the major hills
Leon October 14th
O’Cebriero 20th
Santiago de Compostela 24th October
and then major thanks to all our sponsors and back to get up to St Andrews for Jim’s 50th and the Deadbeat, Life Support 25th or is it 30th , Anniversary party
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Tags: "the way", "the way" "santiago de compostela" "camino", 0'Cebriero, 500 mile, 500 mile walk, burgos cathedral, camino, santiago de compostela, st jean pied du porte, The way of St James, walking across spain
Categories : St Jean Pied du Porte, The Walk, The Way, Uncategorized
St Jean Pied du Porte
23 09 2010We made it up the stairs before our first lapse of concentration.
I was first – I put the rucsac in the box for the scanner – it tilted sideways and the handy 72 different buckles caught in the xray machine and jammed the blighter. This then involved 9 security people advising how best to approach it. Where’s John Smeaton when you need him.
Si then decided to omit all the toiletries advice and offers of poly bags. Something must’ve registered as he took out his suntan cream – I guesd it was an offering – and placed it with his phone and assorted trinkets.
“Who does this sunscreen cream belong to?” Bellowed our man whose day was destined to be hell and was only 15 minutes old.
“Just bin it” cried Si as the offering was duly sacrificed.
“Hoi, are you the rucsac with the toiletries? Toothpaste shower gel shampoo mouthwash and assorted foot creams” sighed mister day from hell and its only 16 minutes old.
“Duh, yup” said Homer Si
“Sod it just go on”, whaurs smeato when you need him, he thought. It’d be handy if he could fly in and banjo a few of these clowns that are spoiling my day.
“Look” says si pointing at a big sign, “we can buy liquids here to take on the plane”.
“Aye and bin them at Stansted!”
“Aye, a fair point. Go through three tubs of the stuff and we’ve no even left the great UK port”
===
Alors – nous sommes en France.
Biarritz ya dancer.
Please don’t snigger – these hills are looking bigger!
I’ve finished chapter 4 in my head of 1000 reasons why I love smoking.
You see, people grump more when they don’t have a fag to take away the strain – and today – on the plane – how topical – as we get ourselves into position for the starting gate and our a penny a step for the children’s charity – there’s parents abusing their children on the plane.
Give the kid a dummy – I’m watching my ears pop – I’m watching the water bottle contract – I’m thinking this is the pressure building in the kids head – SCREEEEEEAAAMMMMMMMMM! – that’s better a full 12 minutes until we bump land the bus.
Parents eh? Who’d be one. Well we have good news and bad news on the trek front. The Bayonne train leaves at 9pm and its currently 3pm
Do we
A. Get pissed and miss it
B. Bump into fellow pilgrims and get a taxi
Or
C. Walk it and see how long it takes to get lost in SW France!
Its France – we’ve got loads of time!
===
And now we’ve arrived at St Jean – we’ve just taken another look and already Simon is starting to agree with the Irish women Aileen who’s going to walk to hunto tonight so its 2 hours less tomorrow,
“Oh so why not when I said it last july!”
Let the battles continue – fair play though he climbed the hill and found the shop that gave us the guide and passport (credencial) and also sells b and b for 7 euro.
Now all we need is to find a shop selling suncream!
The problem is, we’re sitting in the shade, with our credencial which gives you discount at the restaurants on tour and already wondering if they hire golf buggies!
Good news is we’ve got a bed and the clothes are still clean!
Cheers from Simon and Al
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Tags: "the way", 500 mile walk, camino, Day 1, Day 27, Pontomarin, santiago de compostela, st jean pied du porte, The way of St James, walking across spain
Categories : St Jean Pied du Porte
Day 30. Early morning Al enjoying the countryside!
10 10 2007Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: "the way", camino, The way of St James
Categories : The Way, Uncategorized
Day 25. Scenic view from O Cebreiro. Yes we did climb those hills!
5 10 2007Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: "o'cebriero", "the way", camino, eating on the camino, The way of St James
Categories : The Way, Uncategorized
Day 2 – the mountains
10 09 2007Ouch they told us we´d never do it – they should´ve been right. We climbed 1100m – like the hair and the tortoise we dove tailed well although when Dancin Al´s legs were going the Eagle turned its attention away from the sheep.
In all seriousness we were lucky. It was overcast and we climbed from 7am – noon with a 5 minute break every hour – each time we stopped the mist lifted 100m and meant that we could see where we were going for the next hour but not more.. If we´d seen the whole gig all bets were off and the lardy asses would be coming home tamed by the 1410m col de lepoeder.
No messing these hills were hard – but just as the sun burst through we started our descent – by the way – dodgy knees in Dancin Al held us up – the downhills were always questionable and the sheer descent from the 1400m to 1000m over 4km is pretty 1 in 10, with 1 in 3 in places.
We were offered the sheer descent over 3.5km or the wimps one – lardy asses decided to bank what they had!
We got into the 120 bed dorm at 4.30pm – man o man is it stinking now and its only 9pm and we´re thinking lucky we´re knacked!
Nowt like the mountains the views – especially with the swirling mist and low cloud – superb!
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Tags: "the way", camino, roncesvalles, The way of St James, walking, walking across spain
Categories : Uncategorized, Walking
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