20190417_111005000_iOSA very pleasant but long (18 miles) stage today. The scenery, which on Monday seemed to be rather unremarkable farmland had cheered up and we went through some spectacular little villages. One bonus of this stage seems to be that the churches are all open and it is possible to have a look round inside […]

After finally managing to kick J into action this morning we set off amongst a huge crowd of pilgrims. I’ve noticed that the demographic seems definitely to have shifted to young Spanish people away from the very international and distinctly middle aged people we met early on. Presumably this is because the final stage is […]

I was dead right in saying that it was going to be noisy overnight. The pilgrim party stopped about 1am and then trucks started honking about 5am. About 6am the pilgrims started to get up and that was the end to sleep. We had a smashing breakfast. For some reason it was scotch pancakes (drop […]

This morning I went to early mass in the Cathedral of Leon. I don’t think I would actually have found it without the help of a young Mexican pilgrim I met in the square outside as it was in a (spectacular) side chapel. He was getting a bus to Sarria today, so perhaps we will […]

Left going to the Cathedral in Logrono until this morning. It was quite impressive. Our taxi turned up bang on time and we drove to Leon. There were some quite pretty views but I have to admit I slept part of the time due to having a terrible night’s sleep in Lograno due to the […]

Today was very, very hard – actually the longest stage we are doing at 28km, and lots of it uphill. It was also quite hot today at about 20C – this didn’t bother me but J was not fond of it (frankly I would rather have the weather today than the hail and wind we […]

Excellent breakfast in the hotel – believe it or not bacon and eggs. But with one addition – my Mum’s favourite breakfast food – a yeasted pastry called an Ensaimada. When I was a child I couldn’t pronounce this so I called it an “Elsie Marley” (As in “Elsey Marley’s grown so fine she won’t […]

Lovely walk today. J was not pleased as the promised “flat” stages do not seem to be materializing (and sadly for him won’t tomorrow either), but actually it was very pleasant walking up to three hill villages – each prettier than the last. I don’t know what the people in these places do during the […]

What a fantastic day we have had. The weather has been glorious and we have walked through a combination of lovely open scenery and beautiful little villages. Beyond Pamploma the day started with a steep climb. J made his usual protests. We continued upwards through farmland with the views becoming ever better as we climbed. […]

A shortish walk of only 14km today. We walked with a very interesting fellow pilgrim today – a retired headmaster who had been just about everywhere in the world – including Everest Base Camp. Flattish walk through pretty countryside. We saw an interesting medieval bridge in one place we passed through. About halfway to Pamplona […]