El Camino de Santiago, Spain: Week 2
Articles I have written for TheTrek.co about my Camino Frances pilgrimage hike:
April 21: Logroño to Nájera: 18.7 miles
Dealing with a cold I started to get on the 3rd day. First had a sore throat then lost my voice then developed a cough. I felt bad coughing at night in the bunkrooms keeping people awake so that has added a stress to everyday. A couple of nights I left the bunkroom to sit in the kitchen or bathroom so as not to bother anyone. I wasn´t getting much sleep and felt poorly as soon as I would stop hiking. Visted my second pharmacy in Nájera.
Another town to walk through
Vineyards to the mountains
April 22: Nájera to Grañón: 17.5 miles
Kept going past where the guidebook suggested to end for the day (I have Brierley´s guidebook that has a route for everyday, finishing the camino in 33 days). Glad I did as I met several people and had great conversations with them. I even got some cough syrup from some Australians and advice about my sickness.
Trail through the wheat fields
Neat water fountain
Pilgrim dinner at the albergue
April 23: Grañón to Villafranca Montes de Oca: 17.2 miles
I had felt okay while hiking until today, but whatever sickness I have took a toll today and I felt sluggish and poorly. I decided to keep going further to Villafranca because they had a private room available. I felt like having a private room would allow me to get some much needed rest and not have to worry about my cough keeping others awake in the bunkroom. I had a nice pilgrim dinner at the local hotel´s restaurant and had paella for the first time.
April 24: Villafranca Montes de Oca to Cardeñuela Riopico: 15.5 miles
Nice day of hiking through some forest in the morning. Past through Atapuerca where the earliest human remains ever discovered in Europe dating back over 900,000 years were found. I wasn´t sure where I was going to stop for the day because I wanted a short day into Burgos tomorrow but my guidebook didn´t list many other albergues before the city. I happened upon this town and stopped. There were not many people staying there and it was a quiet night.
April 25: Cardeñuela Riopico to Burgos: 8.6 miles
Short day into town, all road walking. I toured Burgos Cathedral, ate chocolate con churros, checked into a hotel, blogged, and went searching for a restaurant in the rain.
Pilgrim statue infront of Burgos Cathedral
Chocolate con churros
El Cid statue
Tapas/pinchos (small servings) y vino blanco
April 26: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino : 13 miles
I left the city late due to maximizing hotel stay, and walked 3+MPH straight to Hornillos where I met up with friends I´d been seeing for the past few days.
Huge pot of paella
Cathy, Momi, and Maddy
April 27: Hornillos del Camino to Itero de la Vega : 19.4 miles
Cold morning (my phone said it was 31 degrees) so I layered up and wore my beanie and gloves as well. This area has what is called the meseta, which are mesas or plateaus that you walk up and then across then back down again. I caught up to Cathy and walked with her till she stopped in Castrojeriz. Cathy was so nice to me and a great help (this is her 3rd camino). I kept going to Itero, and stopped at an albergue that had a vegan/vegetarian sign out front. I had a miserable rest of the day there coughing more than I had in days.
Coming down off the meseta
Next: Week 3
