Over 14 months since start of the pandemic, there is good news on the horizon as Spain looks to welcome pilgrims from June.

News has been filtering in from Spain over the last few weeks that their state of alarm would be lifted and this was confirmed today. Portugal had previously confirmed that the border between Portugal and Spain is now open. So now Spanish people are free to travel within the country. News that the state of alarm was lifted was received with joy and delight but I’m not sure if the partying in the street was the right response.

So where are we?

EU citizens are travel within the EU but you may be subject to criteria. For example, if I was to travel to Portugal now I would need a negative PCR test 72 hours before each flight. I look forward to the EU new digital green card which will allow travel if one can show proof of a negative PCR test or vaccination. There is no date when this will be implemented yet but I would imagine it will be operational by June.

For those who live outside of the EU, you will need to wait a little bit longer, as Spain has prolonged its travel restrictions for countries outside EU until the end of May. The digital green card will hopefully be operational by then, but we wait and see.

In Spain, approx 20% of the Spanish population has received their first dose, so it is still required to wear a mask outdoors. Restrictions are still in place in the form of curfews, depending on what region you are in. Obviously, if the situation gets worse, I would imagine each regional government will impose their own restrictions.

The youtube channel “Spain Speaks” is a very good place to get your daily fix of updates – a resident of Madrid – he breaks down the news for us folks living outside of Spain.

Personally speaking, I wait for my first dose of the vaccine. I will continue to be patient and until then I will continue my Camino at home. That said, we are picking up pace here in Ireland but we are far way behind the UK and the USA. Our own government is hoping that 80% of the population will have their first jab before the end of June. It is a big ask, but we shall see if it is met. We are on the right road, however, and I am hopeful. This is good news and I look forward to returning to the Camino! That said, there is huge demand to return to the Camino – from all over the world. Every pilgrim misses walking these routes and I can only imagine how busy Santiago will be when “normality” returns.

Buen Camino!

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Last October and November, I started a whole host of podcasts with pilgrims around the world. They were great as they were informal, short, and had great information. I loved making them and I want to make more. I managed to upload 9 before real-life came catching up on me. I always knew I was never going to maintain the podcast on a weekly basis due to work etc. So I think the plan is to upload when I have the time and when there is interest. That said, I was delighted to speak to Adam from England last November and he is my next guest on the podcast.

Adam was one of my pilgrim buddies from my 2017 Camino from Burgos. I often compare meeting pilgrims to an elastic band. You might not meet each other for days but you have this constant connection. Adam and I would meet every three or four days and usually stay in donativo albergues. He had a much different attitude to me on the Camino. At the time, I would start very early in the morning much to my detriment, while he was very much laid back and he would take his time, which is the right way to do it. We both stayed in “Albergue parroquial Santa María” in Carrion de los Condes that year and it was personally one of my most enjoyable experiences. While I finished in Astorga that particular year, Adam continued to Santiago de Compostela.

You can listen to my conversation with Adam from England below. Please like it if you enjoyed it and feel free to subscribe on your podcast player of choice.

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I have tried not to pay attention to the news over the course of the last few months. In a world of social media, this is quite difficult, however, I am where I am today – still standing and working from home. Restrictions are still in place here in Ireland until April 5th, where they will be re-assessed. The roll-out of the Covid vaccination has been, let’s just say, poor, and not wanting to put blame on any one person, I look at other countries who are doing a far better job than us.

I just look to the future. At the present time, I can’t travel more than 5 km beyond my home and I hope to travel to the Camino in September. Our own government has ruled out any non-essential travel since the start of the pandemic while allowing people to fly into the country unchecked. I think this has eroded confidence.

This week, the EU Commission announced plans for a digital green pass which would allow EU citizens to travel inside of the EU provided they have:

• received the vaccine
• received a negative test
• received a medical certificate to say that you have recovered from Covid in the last 180 days.

I would imagine that I will receive my first vaccine jab before I travel but if I don’t, a negative test can be received at the Airport before I leave.

It is just a week, but it is better than nothing. More news later.

In years past, I would upload one video per year and the only answer for that is I didn’t record enough video. With the advent of instagram and smarter phones, more pilgrims are taking record of their experiences by video. In 2017 I started this. I had quite a bit of footage from 2018 and 2019 too. In time I will upload them.

Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and you will be notified on my latest upload.

In this video, I walked from Burgos to Carrion de los Condes – a quite easy section of the Camino Francés however I did find it challenging due to the heat. As a result, I started my day earlier to beat the higher temperatures.

Burgos – Hostal Evolución
I booked a single room here shortly before leaving home as I would be arriving late in Burgos. Hostal Evolución is central, it is clean however given the choice, I would stay in the main albergue in Calle Fernan Gonzalez.

Hontanas – Albergue El Puntido
There was never any doubt that I would stay in Hontanas after my first day’s walking. It’s a beautiful town. I’ve been here before twice preferring to stay in the municipal albergue at the end of the town. I preferred a change this time. Not only is El Puntido an albergue, but it boasts a restaurant, a bar and a tiny tienda at the back. Hontanas is not short of places to stay but El Puntido must be one of the better albergues on the Camino.

Boadilla del Camino – Albergue En El Camino
I can’t speak highly enough about En El Camino. Eduardo and his family will always be in my heart. I’ve been here three times and if you haven’t stopped off in En El Camino, I’d encourage you to do so. The pool is one of the many reasons I stay here!

Carrión de los Condes – Albergue Parroquial Santa Maria del Camino
When I arrived in Carrión de los Condes, I text a friend and she asked me “Is that the one with the singing nuns?”. Well, yes is the answer to that question but on the day I arrived, the nuns were on sabbatical leave. In their place were volunteers who made us all feel at home. I won’t say anymore, but if you do wish to stay in Carrión de los Condes, make sure you stop by Albergue Santa Maria. Staying there is an experience you won’t forget.

I have recently posted about Preparation and the need to speak to veteran pilgrims to get information if you are planning an upcoming Camino.

As we are in a pandemic, we aren’t allowed to meet in person but it does allow us to meet virtually and share this knowledge. If you are planning to walk when it is safe to do so, the below links will be useful.

1. American Pilgrims on the Camino – Boston Chapter are holding webinars on the 1st and 14th of March. You can register by clicking on the link above but if you cannot attend, the recording will be recorded. The webinar on “Unpacking your Camino” sounds appealing to me. Lisa Morales has been a guest on my podcast before Christmas.
2. CSJ – Confraternity of St. James – Camino Pilgrim – are holding 6 webinars starting on the 1st of March at 7 pm GMT. The first webinar focuses on the basics and the background of the Camino and over the weeks, further themes are developed. Each webinar is £2 and the recording is saved if you cannot attend. Again, highly recommended for someone new to the Camino de Santiago.

If you are planning on attending any of the above webinars, you might let me know.