September 3rd 2021 – Day 3

• Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino
• Distance: 19km
• Albergue: Albergue En El Camino

Another amazing morning started off with breakfast in the albergue. I gathered my things from the dorm room and made my way (bag in hand) to the kitchen. There were cereals of all types available, juices, teas and coffee and bread. I went with my usual – some fruit and coffee. In the kitchen, I was joined by the Johns from the USA and Holland respectively. John from Holland would be walking to Fromista so I would probably not see him again. You never know though! Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino is a handy stage but the nice climb to negotiate at the start.

The albergue is one of the last buildings in the village, so it didn’t take me long to wave goodbye. Part of me was unsure of what was ahead though – the Alto de Mostelares – a 1000 metre hill that brings us back on the meseta plains. Having climbed it 3 times before, you would think I would be used to it – nope! I just put each foot forward and when I was out of breath, I turned around and looked at the town below me.

The above photos was taken half way up the Alto and that is the town I stayed in the night previous. I learned alot about how fit I was during this ascent. It is a difficult climb but in years gone by, I didn’t find it as challenging. Maybe it is me getting older? I arrive at the top of the hill with an American cyclist and we talk for a bit. I must have been here for a half an hour until Linda and Andreas pop their head over the hill. This was a big surprise for me as now I have someone to walk with. We stop here for a bit before we march on however Andreas has a much faster pace than Linda and mine. I refuse to say goodbye and say “see you on the way”. He strides away in the distance in no time. He lives up to his Camino name “Andiana Jones” – Linda and myself try to figure out suitable names for sequels (for example…Andiana Jones and the Revenga del Campos)…it passes the time and Andreas has no problem with it!

Once at the top of the Alto, there is only way left to go – down! The road has been renovated in the last number of years so instead of gravel, you have concrete and it is impossible to fall. It is quite easy to pick up the kilometres from Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino but I choose not to. I am in no hurry. We are out in the open and the sun is coming out now. Our next stop is the Albergue de San Nicholas in Puente Fitero for a sello and then we are in Palencia. And we met Andreas again!

We were worried that there would be no cafes open in Itero de la Vega – our next stop. However, about a kilometre in our fears were put to rest. Bar Puente Fitero was open and serving food. We stopped for some second breakfast and application of sun cream. We met Nicole from Germany for the first time and said hello, although we wouldn’t walk for another few days.

To Boadilla del Camino, we had another 8 kms to go – another 2 hours walk. I was introduced to Linda’s sun protector – Polly, which is extremely effective. This was another day with very few pilgrims compared to other years. I was glad to have some company with me but my Camino was due to end in the next few days. In the next while, we could see the top of Boadilla’s church in the distance. We were near! But the nearer we made it to the town, the church seemed to disappear. Is the Camino deceiving us again? We arrived shortly to be greeted by the church at the rear of the village. Albergue En El Camino was open however the entrance to the albergue was closed and we needed to enter via the hotel. We were greeted by Eduardo – ever positive. It is the 4th time I have met him now! He brings me into the albergue from the hotels section and the garden is empty. Hopefully that atmosphere will return next year.

Linda had a room in the hotel section and I had the first bunk in the albergue part, which was full by 4pm. It was full of Spanish and French pilgrims. In 2017, the majority of pilgrims in En El Camino were from the USA. Later on, I received a call from my good friend Garry who lives in Santiago. He had been leading a group on bikes to Santiago and was passing through Boadilla. He wanted to meet. I met just outside the albergue. It was the first time since 2012 that we have met. He is an inspiring guy and if you are looking for a Camino guide check out www.spanishadventures.com. It it wasn’t for Garry, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be walking in Spain each and every year.

Handy links:

• ClearskiesCamino.com links page
• Gronze.com – for open albergues and distances between towns

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Buen Camino!

September 2nd 2021 – Day 2

• Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz
• Distance: 20km
• Albergue: Albergue Rosalia

After a fantastic evening in Hornillos, I woke up with the rest of the room packing their bags and gathering their things. I guess it was close to 6.30 am at this time so there was no excuse for me to stay in bed any longer. My first night of pilgrim life had been reasonable and I looked forward to just walk. Shortly, I had my pack ready and I was having some breakfast. I stayed to myself this morning but I think everyone did that in the morning time. The plan today was to walk from Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz – another town I have passed through but not actually stayed in. I managed to reserve a bed in Albergue Rosalia for the night. I probably wouldn’t need it, as there is a good amount of accommodation in Castrojeriz, but I just wanted to be sure. Anyway, I grabbed my walking pole and my pack and wished those who were still eating breakfast a “buen camino”.

From Hornillos del Camino and for the next hour, the Camino rises gently until I reach the Alto de Meseta. When I was walking all the way through to Hontanas, I would walk this uphill in the midday sun so it is a bit of relief to have the morning mist with me this time around. It’s a 2 hour walk to the next town Hontanas and I was looking forward for 2nd breakfast there. I arrived at the Alto about an hour later and this would be my first ascent of the day. Rather an ascent than a descent, I think. I am on the meseta plains now and there is literally nothing. The odd cyclist passes me shouting “buen camino”. They are probably bound for Fromista or some far off place! I start thinking about the life of a bicigrino – how different it must be to a peregrino. Anyway, back to me!

Arriving at Hontanas is a strange one to describe. You can sense it is there but you can’t see it until the top of the iglesia points its head over the hill. It is located in the best placed valley in Spain. Once I see the large yellow arrow on the giant slab of stone, it is some one has invited me in for coffee, scones and stories around the fire. El Puntido is open for business and I order second breakfast – tostadas con queso y cafe con leche. Once finished, I visit the large church which has been renovated since I have been here last. Such a beautiful town, the quietness disturbed by birds chirping and clacking sticks by peregrinos.

I didn’t leave Hontanas for a good while but when I did I had my energy back. 10 km done – another 10 km to go so 50% done. Now to see the jewel in the crown of the day – the ruins of San Anton Monastery. I had another few kilometres to go yet and from what I remember, it isn’t all easy. The Camino goes off road and you really need to watch your feet in case you don’t trip. There was a lot of loose gravel which hindered the walk. I was happy enough to arrive back on the main road within two hours. From there , it is a straight walk into Castrojeriz – but pilgrims, please keep to your left hand side!

I passed the old ruins of San Anton monastery and took a rest. I mean, you need to take this in! There is a refuge here for pilgrims also and they survive on donations. It is always worthwhile to give a few euro when passing. I wouldn’t mind sleeping under the stars in a Camino to come, maybe next year? I met Mike and Wendy O Brien from Cleveland who I had met in Hornillos. I would meet them later on in the week.

Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz is a handy stage to walk with some interesting places. I was glad to arrive in Castrojeriz however as the sun was starting to beat down. Castrojeriz is a large town at the base of a hill. My albergue was at the far side of the town but I was glad to find it. Javier, its owner, is a gentleman and showed me around.

Linda was also staying at this albergue also so I waited for her to arrive to have some food. We went to the nearby Iacobus for 0% beer and food. Andreas and his friend joined us before I realised that I had paid for a communal dinner back at the albergue! Time flies when you are having fun. At the albergue, I was joined by John from the USA, John from Holland, Linda from Germany and Illowa from Holland. All great people!

Up tomorrow for breakfast as we challenge the Alto de Mostolares – a hill over 1000 metres high.

Handy links:

• ClearskiesCamino.com links page
• Gronze.com – for open albergues and distances between towns

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Buen Camino!

September 1st 2021 – Day 1

• Burgos to Hornillos del Camino
• Distance: 21km
• Albergue: Albergue Hornillos Meeting Point

So my first day of walking had arrived. Today I walk from Burgos to Hornillos del Camino, a town I have never stayed in. I look forward to the day ahead. However, Burgos was greeted by a thunderstown during the night and when I got up at 7am, I peeled back the curtain, I saw the heavy rain. I had my rain gear at the ready though. On with the rain jacket and rain cover on my backpack. I hoped it was just a shower or two. After a short breakfast, I took my first steps. Ugh! Hardly ideal, but it was set to clear, the forecasters had told us. Leaving Burgos, the Camino takes us along the River Arlanzón until the Monastario de las Huelgas. I usually stick to the main road until I see the University of Burgos and that is what I did this year. The rain was beginning to ease at this time but not soon enough to take the rain jacket off. I see my first pilgrim at the University and in my vain attempt to introduce myself, she takes a long stride and is far away from me. I guess I am alone for the time being.

It is about this time the Camino from Burgos to Hornillos del Camino veers away from the city streets to the country walkways until Tardajos. I begin to find my feet and catch up with some pilgrims. Pilgrims from France, Germany and Spain – a wonderful mix. The scenery is just how I remembered it from 2017 – like someone through a beige blanket over the countryside. The odd flower / sun flower can be seen sprouting out and I stop to take a photo. The ground is wet and muddy from the recent rains. I look forward to Tardajos so I can stop for a much needed cafe con leche.

I had reserved a bunk bed in Albergue Hornillos Meeting Point in Hornillos so I was in no great hurry to arrive. Having walked from Burgos on three other occasions, I usually choose Hontanas as my place to stay which is another 10 kilometres. But I wanted to change things up this year.

I arrived at Tardajos close to 10am. The cafe here was full at the time so rather than stay, I bought some fruit and ate away from the crowd. The sun was starting to peak through the clouds at this stage. The next village was Rabe de Calzadas which is another 2 km away. I made the decision to walk on and get a cafe con leche in Rabe, which is noted as the gateway to the Meseta.

Rabe de Calzadas is an interesting town for two reasons – it has colourful artwork and it has the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Monasterio. I always prefer the bars for their Aquarius, which you cannot find in Ireland and a quick tapa. I must have stayed here for a half an hour, just taking everything in.

From Rabe de las Calzadas, the Camino changes dramatically. Everything is field upon field and rows and rows of sunflowers. There is no immediate end – the Camino goes onto the distance. There is a gradual increase in ascent here and I did struggle at times in the final 10 kms. The most recognisable photo from this stage is one taken at the top of Alto de Meseta – some 950 metres high. There is a 150 metre drop to Hornillos del Camino and for some, this can be challenging. Hornillos can be seen far in the distance however it does take about an hour to get there.

I arrived in Hornillos just after midday. This is a one-way street and it is very much a pilgrim town. My albergue wasn’t open at the time but there was a sign outside to say it was ‘completo’. I looked around the town. The other albergues seemed to be completo also (not including the municipal). I met a couple of American pilgrims staying in the same albergue (their names escape me), they had walked from St Jean. I met John from Missouri, USA who was walking his 4th Camino. And I met Laura from Florida who had started in St Jean also. Covid restrictions had cut back how many rooms were being offered in this albergue but it did not dampen the experience. Linda arrived with Linda from Germany and we had dinner with Andreas from Switzerland.

The next day would be much of the same – rolling hills and meseta until the eyes can see.

Handy links:

• ClearskiesCamino.com links page
• Gronze.com – for open albergues and distances between towns

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Buen Camino!

August 30th 2021 – Day 0
Dublin to Burgos via Madrid

From the 30th of August until the 9th of September 2021, I travelled to Spain to walk along a Meseta Camino from Burgos. It would be the first time I had been abroad since September 2019 and I was eager to throw on my pack and walk the meseta again. I set aside 7 days of walking with the intention of finishing in Mansilla de las Mulas. From there, one can travel to Madrid and that’s what I did. This was the fourth time I had walked from Burgos. I really enjoy it and some people find this bemusing. How and ever, I met some amazing people again, from all parts of the world, and had some special moments. I wrote about each day so please feel free to read about my experiences over the coming weeks.

Handy links:

ClearskiesCamino.com links page

Gronze.com – for open albergues and distances between towns

Booking.com

I had planned to wake up a little bit earlier than normal after reading about a hiccup at security at Dublin Airport. So I woke at 4am and was brought to Dublin Airport. The queue for security began at the entrance for Terminal 1….so that was fun! Once on the flight (and masked up), I was looking forward to Burgos. From the off, I saw two pilgrims – one who was sitting in front of me. Gerry, from Dublin, was on the way to Villafranca del Bierzo to walk to Santiago. He saw my Camino Society patch and knew a few members. The other pilgrim I would not speak to until I arrived in Burgos.

It felt so good to be in the air after all this time and I had such a long time to think about what Camino I would walk when I returned – a Meseta Camino just felt natural to me. I fell asleep and woke again closer to Spain. We were in the air close to 2 and a half hours and soon I had arrived at Madrid Barajas Airport – a sprawling metropolis of 4 terminals. I had to gather myself as it was a while since I was here. Yes, I remember now. There is the feeder bus to catch that brings me to T4.. This little nipper arrives every 5 minutes and carries passengers from Terminal 1 to 4 within 20 minutes. It was a joy to ride on. I was in T4 in no time at the bus station. I managed to change the time of my ALSA bus to Burgos from 1.30 to 11.15, without charge, which saved me a bit of a wait. I had a quick snack in Mahoudrid while waiting for the bus to arrive at 11.15 Spanish time. The sun was shining bright and I was glad to be in the shade while waiting.

On the bus I had a seat to myself so it gave me a chance to read a little, oh! and admire the views! At 4pm, we reached la Estación de Autobuses in Burgos on Calle Miranda, about 5 minutes away from the Catedral de Burgos. I met the other Irish pilgrim on the flight and had a brief chat with her. She was on the same bus as me however she was travelling to Hontanas and walking on the following day. We waved goodbye wishing each other a buen Camino. I was glad to be here and walked to my hostel that I had booked – Happy Hostal Carrales. It is close to the Museum of the Human Evolution. Now to wait for Linda (www.somewhereslowly.com) to arrive and settle in so we can do some sight seeing and eat some tapas!

I met Linda later in the evening on Calle San Lorenzo (off Plaza Mayor) for some tapas and 0% cerveza. There were two taparias that we would frequent over the next two days – Casa Pancho, with their ever willing staff some who have been on their feet since morning, and Mesón Los Herreros.

After a number of tapas, we would move to Viva La Pepa beside the Cathedral to pilgrim watch. And what a view it was as the sun was setting, the lights of the Cathedral lit up. I walked back to my hostal shortly after to wait for the next day – a free day in Burgos. More looking around, chilling, stocking up and getting ready for this short meseta Camino. I even bought my customary wooden pole before setting out – something I never walk without. So I figured I won’t write about this free day but rather get right into the meseta Camino itself leaving from Burgos the very next morning.

OK so I rarely buy books on the Camino de Santiago, choosing to visit my local library or the the Irish Camino Society. However, a book was brought to my attention before Christmas that I needed to add to my collection.

Written by Angelika Schneider, Johnnie Walker, and Stephen Shiels, and centred on the Via de la Plata, the book is a back-to-basics homage to the Camino. All photography is in black and white and all proceeds go to those who help on the Camino.

I look forward to receiving my copy. More details on http://www.beautyofthecamino.com.