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 […]

Today was the longest day of the Camino – 27km. We got off early after another rather indifferent breakfast – the one meal the Spaniards don’t do well. The first part of the walk was through rolling woodlands – again, very reminisent of Argyll and very pleasant. As we got to lunchtime though, the path […]

Today we walked from St Jean in France to Roncevalles in Spain. We did not get off to a good start as J was late getting ready and all the other pilgrims had left – so walking on our own we immediately got lost. Luckily we managed to join up with another Pilgrim group – […]

This morning we went and had breakfast at the famous Ribera market in Bilbao. J had a hige speciality Basque Palmier – I’m surpised he would ever eat again after that. Then we went to the Basque museum which was quite interesting but would have been better if there were English lables on the exhibits. […]

Arrived in Bilbao fine. Unfortunately the appartment is a bit indifferent – we bought two pizzas and then discovered there was no oven! However Bilbao itself is surprisingly lovely. I always thought of it as a rather dull industrial city – but in fact it has a load of charming buildings, a nice river and […]

Whanne that April with his shoures sote The droughte of March hath perced to the rote. And smale foules maken melodie, That slepen alle night with open eye, So priketh hem nature in hir corages; Than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages A quote from Chaucer at the beginning of the Canterbury Tales and very […]