A Facebook memory appeared on my phone this week. Four years ago, I would move out of home and settle into a new home in the northside of Dublin once I complete a short section of the Camino Francés. That section was from Burgos to Astorga. How fitting it is that I return to the same starting point this Monday. Of course, many things have happened since 2017 but I return to Burgos a pilgrim in search of the yellow arrows.

Since my last post, I have finished up in the office, I have got the last few bits and pieces for the pack and checked in my flights. Since the pandemic, I have a few extra documents I need to carry with me. These include:

• EU Digital Covid Certificate
• Spain health passenger locater QR code – you need to complete this prior to entry to Spain and you need to know where you are staying on your first night.
• Along with the above, I have bus tickets to and from Madrid. It is very easy to book tickets in Spain. Movelia.es is a great website.

I have been looking at the weather for the last week also. At present, Spain is going through a mini-heatwave however it will cool down for my arrival. I expect temperatures in Burgos on the 30th and 31st around 24c to 27c, however there is a chance of rain on the 31st. There is a greater chance of rain on the 1st when we leave Burgos however. I am prepared and have brought my Helly Hansen rain jacket. I seem to be lucky when it comes to rain having seen rain 3 days in all my 11 Caminos.

The good thing about the Camino is that you don’t have to walk alone. I mean, you can choose to walk in search of the yellow arrows with a large group, or you can walk solo. The choice is yours. I am really happy to be joined by Linda from SomewhereSlowly.com in Burgos. We both know I am the faster walker, so we will probably see each other at the end of each day. It is not the first time we met, having met in 2018 on my Camino Francés when I walked from Puente la Reina and again in 2019 when I walked with my brother when we walked from A Coruna (page to be updated).

In search of the yellow arrows – What am I carrying?

As promised in my previous post, I wanted to list what I am carrying on this Camino. Some of you may find this useful. If you do, please let me know. I have divided this kit into a number of categories:

• What I am wearing
• Main Bag
• Electronics
• Toiletries and Foot kit
• Bits and Pieces

What I am wearing.

• Long zip off trousers
• Short sleeve tech t shirt (Helly Hansen)
• Baseball hat
• Rab light fleece
• Salomon X Ultra shoes
• Under Armour boxers
• Merino socks
• Buff
• Face mask
• Over the shoulder bag with important items (see below)

Main Bag

• Lowe Alpine 35l Backpack and rain cover
• Helly Hansen rain jacket
• Cotton liner
• Crocs
• Short sleeve t shirt x 2
• Shorts
• Socks – merino x 2
• Under Armour boxers x 2
• Lightweight towel
• All within a dry bag

Electronics

• Spanish plug adapter
• Phone charger
• Fitbit and charger
• DJI Osmo Pocket

Toiletries and Foot kit

• Travel toothbrush and paste
• Razor
• Suncream – to be bought in Spain
• Gehwol foot cream
• Prescription medication
• Paracetemol

Bits and Pieces

• Guide book
• EHIC / Health insurance details
• Shell
• Journal and pen
• Spork
• Zip lock bags
• Clothes pegs

Over the shoulder bag

• Phone
• Pilgrim passport
• Passport
• Debit card
• Flight Details
• Bus details
• EU Digital Covid Cert

If I need anything else, I will buy in Spain.

So that is it! I am as ready as I can be. If you want to follow me you can follow me on the links below:

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Until I return home, Buen Camino! Catch me on the above sites in Spain!

My last time on the Camino was in September 2019. Such a long time when I look back on it. I had walked from Lisbon to Agueda on the Camino Portugués – close to 350 kilometres. I arrived home and immediately made plans to return the following year. But, as we all know, that didn’t happen and here we are are today. At the time of writing, I have 9 days until my next Camino – the meseta is on my mind.

Let me tell you how I got here! Because Burgos was not my original destination. I had booked a Ryanair flight to Porto in early 2020 hoping for a April 2020 Camino but due to travel restrictions, I was unable to leave Ireland. I then changed that flight from Porto to Madrid and decided on a meseta Camino for 2021. I am looking forward to Porto for next year. Anyway, so seeing that the situation in Spain was improving, I gathered my thoughts and my Camino gear! I had to be positive. So I booked a return flight from Bilbao hoping to walk with my camiga Linda (www.somewhereslowly.com) from Burgos. Everything was looking rosey and the meseta was indeed on my mind.

There was slight disappointment last month when I received an email from Aer Lingus to say that the flight from Bilbao was cancelled. Luckily enough, I managed to find a replacement flight home from Madrid. All is well.

Am I ready for the Meseta?

So what preparation have I carried out this year compared to others? Well none really, I am sorry to say. I am hoping that I will gain my Camino fitness as the days go on. I don’t plan on walking huge distances each day and unlike previous years, I don’t expect to leave at crazy o clock. The terrain is relatively flat (other than the Alto de Mostolares) so I am just looking for good food and good company. Some pilgrims even skip this section altogether – however I am looking forward to it.

Mentally I am ready. I am super excited about this and happy to have the chance to go. I need to put more time into journaling though. I found from my last Camino I didn’t journal which meant I had no ideas to blog when I came home. This year I hope to write as much as I can so I can post here when I return – both about the scenery and the inner journey.

I will post my kit in my next post so you will get an idea of what I am carrying.

More to come before I go!

It is not long until my arrival in Burgos, and the start of my Camino Francés. I am glad it is the weekend again. I look forward to seeing some of the outdoors again now that the weather has picked up. I look forward to my walks as I get away from the computer screen and it is good to stretch the legs. I do worry that the situation in Spain and across Europe has detiorated. It’s 45 days left, I wait for some calm before I focus putting one foot in front of the other.

With over 7,500 pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela in the last week from many different nations, Irish pilgrims can start visiting Spain from the 19th of July if they wish as non-essential travel returns. While most pilgrims will choose to wait until 2022, the number of pilgrims will increase during the rest of the Summer months right through to the end of the year. Some will choose to walk to Santiago and earn a Compostela while others (like myself) will walk a small section ending their Camino with a promise to return. I’ve a few things to do before then.

a) St James’ Day – the patron Saint of Santiago

St. James’ Day falls on July 25th. When St James’ Day falls on a Sunday (ie 2021 and 2022 because of Covid) Santiago de Compostela and Spain celebrate the feast of St James (“fiesta de Santiago” in Spanish). Unfortunately, I won’t be in Spain, but I can do the next best thing.

I want to meet some pilgrims friends at the Church of St James in Dublin. I have been somewhat reluctant to visit the city centre in the last year but now is a great chance. Last year, I celebrated St. James’ Day by walking to the Church of St James – please feel free to read the post that I have linked.

b) More practice walks and be Camino-fit.

In the last few months, I have been racking up the steps in my locality in the north side of Dublin, however I haven’t ventured that far. To be Camino-fit, I really need to be hitting the hills soonish. The last 15 months of laying low has had an effect on me physically and time will tell if I can manage the Alto de Mostalares with the sun blazing on my back. I have all the gear, I probably need a replacement pair of socks and some washing kit that I can buy in Spain. I am excited to use the DJI Osmo Pocket to record some video while I am there.

c) Keeping an eye on Spain

I try not to listen or watch the news here in Ireland. There isn’t anything good to come out of it and it generally doesn’t help my wellbeing. I am fully vaccinatined so I know what I need to do if I am to visit Spain. The only thing that can stop me visiting Spain are the increasing restrictions. So I am keeping an eye on Spain at the moment and willing to make a call before the end of the month. With 45 days left, I am hoping for some calm and I am as positive as I can be. I am hoping that cases in Spain start to plateau shortly. I am using the below link for updates from Spain. It contains this informative map also. More news before the end of the month. Of course, your feedback is welcome.

• https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20210716/mapa-del-coronavirus-espana/2004681.shtml

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Well hello there..how are you all? I hope you are enjoying the sunny weather of what’s left of this weekend. The good news is that it is here to stay for the next while so it is a great chance to get outdoors. I have been dipping my toes (so to speak) with long-er walks as I prepare for my return to the Camino Francés at the end of August. With Spain opening up again and more pilgrims returning to walk these great roads, I would love to hear from others who are in my position. Tell me where you are walking, and when are you arriving? I return to Burgos and the meseta, a place I really love, for many reasons and I won’t be alone.

I was grateful to receive my second vaccination last Saturday (19th June). While it did knock me out for a few hours, I had a constant smile on my face afterward. At the very same time, pilgrims from all over the world were walking the sacred steps to Santiago de Compostela. 774 pilgrims were awarded their Compostela on that very day. It seems crazy that just a few months ago, barely a hundred pilgrims reached Santiago. Yesterday, more than 900 pilgrims arrived into Santiago. There is a great cause for hope but it is also important to stay safe and vigilant.

My plan is to arrive in Burgos on the 30th of August and walk for 10 days. Who knows where my final day will be and what town I will arrive in when I “finish” this Camino but my flight home is the 9th of September. I wish I had longer but alas! The walk from Burgos to Carrion de los Cóndes is very special. I have walked it in 2013, 2015, and 2017 – each year with different wonderful people, learning different lessons.

My return to Burgos and the Meseta is four years in the making having walked the Camino Inglés and the Camino Portugués from Lisbon. You will find many pilgrims who will use the Meseta as a reason to catch up if they are falling behind. I have talked to folks before who say they don’t find it interesting at all. I often find the stages from Burgos to León the most interesting and have provided me with the most enduring memories.

The landscape may not be the most captivating – with wheat field after wheat field lasting as far as the eye can see. While it may not be physically demanding, it lets your mind wander. Questions that may need answering or attending to can be challenged. If you meet a pilgrim during one of your days, a problem can be shared or halved.

I have been preparing for 15 months mentally. I just need to get used to longer distances again until the end of August. I can’t wait to see Burgos again.

Buen Camino!

As I reach the 10th anniversary of my first Camino de Santiago, there is much talk of Europe relaxing their travel restrictions. It looks like an end in sight after such a long time.

It is no secret that Spain is looking to kick start the tourism industry and from this Monday, they are to welcome all travellers, provided they are vaccinated for 14 days. For citizens of the EU, it is slightly different and we await the introduction of the digital green card. With this card, it shows proof of vaccination, a negative pcr test or recovery from COVID. It looks like an end in sight. But what about Irish pilgrims, like myself? Well, we have been asked to sit still for another month (July 19th to be exact) until the digital green certificate is rolled out. I do hope that the certificate is available in August as (cue drums) I have flights booked for Madrid on August 30. I will be fully vaccinated by then. I plan to walk from Burgos for a week and bit with my good camiga Linda from www.somewhereslowly.com.

Walking from Burgos will be a perfect place to celebrate my ten years as a pilgrim. It is kind of surreal how fast that has gone by. While I did enjoy starting in Galicia on my first trip, my heart is in the meseta and my time is limited. I arrive in Burgos early on the 30th of August and meet my camiga Linda. Distances will be short and relaxation will be key. I haven’t walked many long walks over the last 15 months. I will be posting a little bit more over the next two months now that I have that adrenaline buzz and I’m sure you can all relate to that.

So again, just as a reminder, if you are fully vaccinated you just need proof and you are good to go! Buen Camino all.

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