Saturday - Villafranca to Sarria via O Cebriero

The bus came to fetch us at our lovely little hotel in Villafrance del Bierzo at 9am.While we were standing around chatting a woman walked up`and asked if I was Sil. It was Annie from South Africa who I have been in email contact with for about 18 months.  She was walking past and decided to stop at the hotel for a coffee when she heard South African accents.She wondered whether this could be my group and we had a lovely meeting outside the hotel.
The bus drove us to O Cebreiro where we visited for about an hour.The weather was gorgeous - it is often shrouded in mist or rain - and the vistas were breath taking.
Then we were taken down the mountain and dropped at Sarria where we visited a few shops, had lunch and Eugenie and I sorted out her new SIM card.  We walked 4.5km to Casa Carmen in Barbadello,This is where Pami wanted us to stay so in her honour we all agreed to spend the night here.
Tomorrow we will walk to Portomarin.Hopefully we´ll be able to visit Gordon Bell at Casa Banderas on the way so that I can give him his RSA flag.
It has been a full, lovely day again today and we are all looking forward to the next section of our walk to Santiago.


110km to Santiago
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Villafranca del Bierzo

This one is for Margie Biggs - to show that we are cleaning up the Camino as we go!

Burgos to Leon

Janet Ploss - the only American in our group.  She is learning a few Afrikaans slang words so that she can earn honorary South African status by the time she gets to Santiago.

1st June - Puente La Reina

It´s hard to describe the beautiful landscape we have walked through the last three days.  From Roncesvalles we started off in woods of beech and oak, through undulating farmlands with white cows and black faced sheep in the fields, to high scrub and fyn-bos and then steeply into Zubiri - the´town of the bridge´crossing the medieval bridge into the town.  Legend says that if you walked your cattle three times around the main pillar of the bridge they would be cured of rabies!  Our albergue was called El Palo de Avellano (Hazel Stick - probably names for the hazel twigs that people used in the old days to clean their teeth!)  We had a wonderful four course meal there for 11 euro - salad, soup, a Regional rice cake in tomato sauce and then either fish, meat or omelette and a fresh lemon mousse.  Real pilgrim food!
The rouite from Zubiri to Pamplona is a roller coaster of ups and downs with a lovely approach to Pamplona through Trinidad de Arre, the park and through the old fortified wall into the city.  Passing through Arre I tripped on a speed hump in the pavement (to slow down cyclists) and went down heavily on both knees.  I am grazed and bruised but no other injuries.
Our Pension in Pamplona - Sarasate - deserves a mention.  It is right around the corner from the Plaza de Castillo, 3 minutes from the bus station, spotlessley clean, comofrtable beds, en suite bathrooms, tv, wifi and the kindest, most obliging host.  Please support him if you are planning a stay in Pamplona.  35 euro for a single, 45 euro for a double.
Today Janet, Eugeni and I left Pamplona at about 7h30 and stopped in Cizur Menor (about 5km) for a coffee and toast passing Roy and Kay and then Linda a Pam.  Then on through gently rollong farmlands - wheat, barley and millet - to the Alto de Perdon, a high ridge with a line of wind turbines and a series of metal pilgrim sculptures with the incription, ¨Where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars.¨ It is a long, hard slog up to the top and the wind was cold and howling when we reached the summit.  Janet joined us soon after and we descended the other side down a steep, twisting ankle snapping river boulder path to Uterga where we met up with Kim Frances, Roy and Kay.  Eugeni, Kim and I decided to take the detour to Eunate and we spent a bit of time at the lovely church before continuing on to Obanos and then to Puente La Reina.  Just as we were starting to feel really weary the Hostal Jakue appeared before us and we soon checked into our rooms.  This is a gorgeous, up market new albergue and hotel with the best 11 euro pilgrim menu you´ll find on the camino - a buffet feast with soup, salads, hot afood, many different deserts and wine and bread.  Yummy!
It is now 9:25pm and I am drooping at the key board.  But, I am a very happy pilgrim.  Next time I´ll tell you a bit about how the group is working and where we are going tomorrow.
Over and out for now,
Syl

29 May - St Jean Pied de Port

 We were collected by Caroline and another driver in two vehicles. One went straight to St Jean while ours went to the airport to collect Janet and another passenger. This pilgrim had started in St Jean and walked to Santiago and was coming back to St Jean to collect her bags which she had left at the B+B in St Jean. Poor thing was limping and using a stick - she,d hurt her knee going down the steep hill to El Acebo two weeks earlier. We chatted on the way and discovered that we knew each other through the Forum. She is Carole aka Crazy Woman from Brisbane and I had given her some advice about arriving late in St Jean and where to stay.
The road through the Pyreneess twists and turns and a few us started feeling nauseous so Caroline stopped in a lay-bye so that we could get some fresh air.

We had a lovely time in St Jean where we met Tim who had reserved our table at a restaurant. After lunch we went to the Pilgrim office to get our credencials stamped. Tim invited us to his lovely B&B Errecaldia, a wonderful place to stay if it is your first night in St Jean and you have Jet-lag or need to get over a long journey. A good place to stay is www.errecaldia.com  contact Tim at   tim@errecaldia.com

It was very hot and we we all bought ice cold water for the return trip to Roncesvalles.
We checked into the la posada and had a drink outside. Eugenie and I visited the new albergue which is quite impressive. It sleeps 170 pilgrims - 2 bunk beds in a cubicle - stainless steel kitchen, vending machines with food to heat in the microwaves, cold drinks, sweets etc.  There is a new hotel in the old monastery where I slept in crowded dormitories in 2002.  It is called the Hotel Roncesvalles and looks very smart!
We had our credencials stamped and on the way back to the Inn saw Linda sitting outside the Casa Sabina. She had walked for 11 hours from St Jean.
 We had a great pilgrim menu - pasta, trout and chips or patata tortilla and salad, yoghurt, wine and bread for 9 euro.

 After dinner we had a group briefing and finally got to bed at about 11pm. We have decided to send some stuff on to the next albergue. I have a large gift packet with presents for people along the way and Pam and I have both got large folders with paperwork to send ahead as well. Buenas noches for now.
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Pamplona to St Jean

The amaWalkers tour starts today with a trip to St Jean for lunch. We've had a great time in Pamplona and the weather has been kind to us - cool in the morning, warm by mid-day and hot in the afternoon.
We all went our own way - I met Isa at the bus station at 10am and spent the day with her. Isa and I worked together as hospitaleras at San Roque albergue in Corcubion (on the route to Finisterre) in 2009 and have lkept in touch all this time.  Isa can't speak English and my Spanish is rudimentary so we used Spanglish, hand signals and a dictionary to converse. We found two outdoor shops in Calle Mayor that sell the Altus raincoats for 35 euro - and another around the corner that sells them for 39 euro.
Most of the group met in the square for dinner and then we had an early night.
The pension Sarasate is spotlessly clean, has comfortable beds, wifi, tv, and ensuite bathrooms - 45 euro dble and 35 single.
We are now sitting in the sun in the park waiting for others to come down so that we can go to breakfast then we'll walk down to the bus station where Express Bouricott will collect us to take us to St Jean.

Pamplona

Hi all you beautiful people out there. We arrived in Pamplona and settled in well. We flew in from Cape Town and Turkey and Johannesburg and Durban. So far 8 of the group and Syl and myself. Today we spend in Pamplona and tomorrow we head for St jean Pied de Port with Caroline's Express Bouricott for lunch then we get taken to Roncesvalles where we will sleep and start our walk from Roncesvalles on Monday. Wow wow wow. As some of you know I have major packing issues with product and stuff , well yesterday was determined to get rid of stuff so sat for 3 hours with Syl, packing and unpacking and letting go certain crazy product and yes yes yes. I did it. Now weighing my pack at 7. 3 kgs. Unbelivable!
Love pammi
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Happy to be Tourogrinos!!

First posted on amawalker.blogspot.com


Having walked long Camino routes in 2002 , 2004, 2007 and 2009 (with a long Via Francigena trek to Rome in 2006)  I think I've earned my stripes as a 'real' pilgrim.  I've had horrible blisters, black toe nails, aching back, bursitis, worn out shoes, gypo tummy and a funny summer tan.  And, I've tried to encourage hundreds of others to have the same experience!  I've organised Regional St James Feast Days since 2003, annual practical pilgrim workshops for hundreds of wanna-be peregrinos since 2004.  I've trained 26 South African pilgrims to be hospitaleros and they are serving on the various Caminos right now.

I've queued day after day with all the other 'real' pilgrims for a bed, for the loo, a shower and a wash tub to wash my clothes. I've slept on the floor on numerous occasions and have eaten frugal meals and gone to bed hungry.

Like any 'real' pilgrim, I've slept in up-market, college-dorm-like pilgrim hostels, and in basic shelters with no beds, no electricity, running water or toilets.  I've worked as a hospitalera in a 20 bed pilgrim albergue, scrubbing floors, showers, and loos and cooking meals for pilgrims every night.   Over the years I have evovled as a pilgrim.

In 2002 my backpack weighed over 12 kg. I sent 3kg on to Santiago after three days walking and struggled on with a 9kg pack. I swore never to carry such a heavy load again. In 2004 my pack weighed 7kg and I still got bursitis swellings on my collar bones and aching feet at night.

By 2006 (on the Via Francigena) I managed to get the pack down to 6kg. By 2007 it was down to 5kg and that's where it stays. No luxuries, no perfumes, no day-night creams, just 2 shirts, 2 shorts, 3 panties, bras and socks. Everything lightweight, wash 'n wear.

Now, in 2011, I'll be doing a completely different Camino, as a touro-grino! Tourogrinos are those people you see walking with little daypacks while their large pack is transported from one place to the next. I'll be sending ahead a nifty little 20 litre Sea-to-Summit pack that will carry all the paperwork, guide books etc needed for a group of 15 pilgrims. 

Tourogrinos can't stay in traditional albergues because they have their backpacks transported.  They have to stay in small hotels, inns, casas, pensions and private albergues.

They book these ahead of time which means that they don't have to scramble for accommodation, especially in the height of the summer crowds. They sleep in a bedroom (instead of a dormitory) in a bed (instead of a bunk), with sheets, blankets and pillows (instead of a sleeping bag). They have a bath or shower en suite (most of the time).

Even though I know that I might still have horrible blisters, black toe nails, aching back, bursitis, worn out shoes, gypo tummy and a funny summer tan, I  am really looking forward to this new Camino experience. I'm looking forward to sleeping in late and having a leisurely breakfast.

I'm looking forward to ambling along the paths, stopping for tea, taking time over lunch, maybe enjoying a siesta under a tree if it is a hot day; having time to wait for a church or museum to open or doing a detour off the Camino path - all because I know that there is a bed waiting for me at the end of the day.  I might even send my pack ahead on some sections. Whoopee! I'll be able to pack a few extras this time! Shampoo AND soap instead of an all-in-one body, hair and clothes wash. I might pack a little number for evening meals!  Wow - imagine that!! Its going to be a very different Camino experience for me.

I anticipate a few disapproving looks and maybe even a few disparaging comments from the first-timer, pilgrim fundamentalist! But, hey - I think I can live with those!

Most of all, on this Camino I'm looking forward to walking with a wonderful group of like-minded people who are all just as excited about this Camino as I am. We are going to take our time, share good food and wine, go on a few side trips - lunch at a typical Basque restaurant in St Jean, visit the castle at Clavijo, Las Medulas World Heritage site and watch the sun go down over the Atlantic at Finsiterre snacking on a basket of Galician Regional pinchos and wine - what a pleasure!!  I can't wait!