Slowing down to Santiago

Boente to O Pedrosa 28kms In 2023, an impressive 404,175 pilgrims embraced the Camino on foot, showcasing the enduring allure of the traditional approach. The most up to date statistics indicate the popularity of the main routes as follows with the Camino Frances being far and away the most popular with 220,000 (but with over half of those walkers at 130,000 just doing the last 100km from Sarria).  Next most popular is the Camino Portuguese at 88,000 followed by its compatriot the Portuguese Coastal at 53,000. Trailing way behind in the popularity stakes are the two that I have undertaken the Camino del Norte at 20,500 and the Camino Primitivo at 20,000. Approximately a 10th of the Camino Frances Keep that in mind as you read on. Today the little stream of tightly knit pilgrims that formed the 'Primitivo Possy' flowed into the full force of the Camino Frances river; those that had spent 30 days walking it's entire length from St Jean Pierport (and who looked as if th...

Ponte de Ferriere to Boente 26km Okay I'll give you a moment to Google that. And to be honest that's what I had to do as I've been struggling for the second day running to find or express a word for today, so I thought there must be a word for that. And there is. For the purists amongst us, today is the last day on the Primitivo, last not because I have reached Santiago (still 40 plus km to go) but because it is the point at which the pure Primitivo route from Oviedo merges with, slips into and is absorbed by the Camino Frances. (more tomorrow). As such it's been an interesting stage but at the same time as this is stage 28 it's not really stood out for any particular reason. Another 25k plus day despite a start that was delayed by the need to grab breakfast at last night's albergue because of a lack of refreshments points on route.  Misty beginnings, country roads, forest trails, wooded paths, past wind turbines,  crossing streams via stone bridges, someti...

Lugo to Ponte Ferreirre 30km Today's word around which to base my musings hasn't been the easiest to decide upon. Sometimes it just drops into my consciousness without too much mental effort, today it has been more of a wrestling match. Lugo was in many ways a jolt to the system, coming into a large town/city so close to Santiago. It also marked the milestone of 100km left, but more of that in a day or two. It's a point where some people are pausing on their Camino for a day's rest / chance to explore.  It's also been the moment where people's plans and timetables for reaching Santiago and what they might have time to do / visit after that has been thrown into sharp focus, with even the die hard non bookers now booking shead. Even I have been forced to plan for Santiago, plan for bus journeys to Porto and check in on line for flights back home in exactly a weeks time.  And perhaps understanderbly having walked in step with others over the course of this C...

 O Cadavo to Lugo 30km Back in the 8th century, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed 'How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Maybe, but I am not so sure that the same could be said about the feet that walk the Camino. They could be described as battered, bruised, blistered and generally buggered yes, but beautiful no. Forget your knees, hips or back, feet are without question the part of your anatomy that takes the most brutal pounding. Step after step, mile after mile, day after day, week after week. If your feet are good, then the walk is good. If not...ouch, aagh. In albergues across Spain, everday after slipping off shoes, hobbling to the shower and easing some of the immediate discomfort, almost everyone can be seen beginning their trotter treatment. Tape and plasters are attached, lotions, ointments and unguents are applied, toenails inspected ...

  A Fonsagrada to O Cadavo 24km Again I could have chosen chance, coincidence, fortune, luck or even divine intervention for the title of today's musing. At one point the reflection was going to be about feet but events during the day took over. I began pondering...what if? What if I hadn't started walking when I did. What if I hadn't walked the stages I have. What if I hadn't walked at the speed I did and stayed in the places I have stayed. What if I hadn't caught the Metro to Portgalete or taken that bus ride to Uquera. What if ferry's hadn't only started at 9am to Sonata. What if I hadn't had some slow days or changed plans at the suggestion of others. What if I had stayed on the del Norte and not switched to the Primitivo. What if...the list is endless. Then the particular serendipitous series of events that has made this camino, my camino, would not have unfolded as they have. Instead I would have walked one of an unlimited number of parall...

  Grandes de Salime to A Fonsagrada 28km I guess I could have used the word boundaries or barriers. I've been pondering those things today and how they shape us, help define us, give us a sense of belonging, maybe even a tribal identity. And the reason for this is that during today's rolling 28km walk we left behind the region of Asturias and entered Galicia.   And whilst there was no official border point, no checkpoint Charlie or defining moment in time, what might have alerted those with eyes to both look and see was the now official looking, identikit Camino route markers (see today's picture) with the shell, the arrow, the distance to Santiago and the word 'Galicia ' visible on all of them, where apparently they take Camino markers pretty seriously. This walk will have taken me through 4 different and distinct regions of Spain. The hills of the Basque region, the coastline and concrete of Cantabria, the streams, rivers and green valleys of Asturias and now ...

 Berducedo to Grandes de Salime. 23km Having already earned myself the reputation as 'the one from Nottingham who did Hospitales backwards', perhaps it's no surprise today that on a very twisty switch back walk my thoughts have been around the concept of 'back" Today's later start at just after 7am, a consequence of a hard day for everyone yesterday, meant the sun has risen a little bit more by the time we left Berducedo. Normally the focus is head down and concentrated on moving forward towards the top of the first climb, the initial coffee stop or even destination for the day, but pausing to look back revealed valley after valley filled in a sea of mist and cloud, with the hazy sun bouncing off its surface creating the impression that the surrounding hill tops were islands floating on an ethereal sea. Just beautiful. Continuing on a switch back path, that dropped over 3,000 feet to the Salime reservoir , my thoughts and memories drifted back to the past a...

  Pola de Allende to Berducedo. 20km (plus 3hrs) Sometimes its good to have your cake and eat it. Today I think I managed to do just that.  Although the stages of the Camino Primitivo are pretty set given the location of villages, the distance between then and the facilities ( or lack of them), the major decision point people have to make is whether to do the 'Hospitales'' route or not.  Hospitals is the high, up and over, spectacular views (depending on the weather,) take everything with you as there are no villages/drinkable water available for 8 hours option 1. I had decided not to take this option for a variety of reasons, I would have missed the day with Robert and Bryant for a start and so 'enjoyed' the almost 2 1/2 hour, nearly 3000 ft forested climb up from Pola de Allendes. Arriving at the high point where this trail met the Hospitales trail the weather was pretty grim, misty and cold enough to require my rain jacket making an appearance for on...

  Tineo to Pola de Allende 29km Since moving over to the Primitivo one of the things that's caught my attention has been water. Now that might seem strange given that parts of the del Norte were by a whole expanse of water called the Atlantic ocean but there you are. It's been water trickling underfoot as it finds its way via gravity along rocky paths and atbthe side of teacks, It's been water gushing and spurting from roadside fountains, spouts and taps. Lovely cold water under which I could place my bandana, my hat even my head for a cooling respite. And if it was safe to drink refill an emptying water bottle. Water collecting in large stone vessel where people once gathered to do communal washing, or pouring from fast flowing streams into natural pools; perfect as nature's very own ice bath for tired and aching feet.   Water in the early morning mist and finest of rain that has greeted the day until the sun has burnt it away or when it hasn't has hung he...

 Salas to Tineo 19km So what does a pilgrim on the Camino do when not walking? Because in reality, perhaps  contrary  to common misconception anout a long distance  pilgrimage walk  some days have had more not walking than walking. Days have varied between a leisurely stroll for 5 hours and a real slog for over 10hrs. When walking it's a case of one foot in front of the other, observing what's undefoot, looking out for direction signs either physically or digitally, and remembering to stop and see; see the magnificent in the majestic and the outstanding in the ordinary. But with the walking over what then? Well assuming you have a place to stay, and many people don't reserve but walk on a wing and a prayer, and have checked in, then it's out of sweat sodden clothes and into what is a pilgrim's dream, a shower with power.  Scalding hot or ice cold the choice is yourse perhaps alternating the blasts at various areas of your body but ALWAYS , always at t...

  Grado to Salas. 22km Is is the single word question that can and does generate 1001 different answers. Why...why are you walking the Camino? For some it is their 1st Camino whilst others are veterans, having walking various caminos that I have never heard off or even knew existed. Something draws them here and/or draws them back time after time. But what? Many talk about the ethos of the camino, it's spirit, the lessons it teaches, the temporary family that gather, walk together and then disperse, the j'e ne said quois' that can't be captured by words. Many are here to find space, to think or not to think, to engage with something other than their 9-5 life they appear to temporarily disengaging from. Some seem lost and in search of something even if they don't know what. For others it's simply something on their bucket list, a simple  holiday or just a nice long walk For Ernesto and Stefano, who although living in the same country, albeit at different ends, d...

  Oviedo to Grado 26km There's an often quoted line from the film Casablanca in which Humphry Bogart's character says 'Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. On Tuesday morning I could have paraphrased that quote by saying "Of all the bus stations, in all the towns, in all the world, they walk into this one" as who should appear very unexpectedly, Ernesto, Stefano and Rocco. What a delightful treat!!  Having had an emotional farewell yesterday , they had stayed outside Villaviciosa but their early start and my delayed departure means our paths intersected. It was so nice to be able to have a quick coffee, and grab a team picture before 'the boys' headed off to Gijon whilst I shared a bus journey with Rocco to Oviedo from where he begins hisweek long journey home to Toronto.  It was lovely to see them all and the tsunami of emotion that had caught us all off guard yesterday was replaced by a serendipitous sen...

  Not exhaustive and in no particular order. Sounds...restless sleepers, 6am packers, traffic near and far, cow bells round animals necks, my breathing, almost silent cyclist assassins, feet on concrete, gravel or mud, running water, gentle rain, click of walking sticks, camino greetings, the cacophony of the city, the breaking of the waves, the dawn chorus of birds, creatures scuttling ino the undergrowth, dogs barking, farm machinery, camino converations, coffee being pressed and milk heated, clinking of glasses. Sights...the extraordinary in the ordinary, the magic in the mundane, the beauty in the brokenness, majestic golden beaches, intimate back alleys, looming mountains, ominous skies, deserted streets, shafts of sunlight, farmland, industrial parks, always looking down at the path ahead of you, waves of white, faces looking tired /joyful /optimistic,  Shoes and sticks carefully stacked, washing,  Smells...mint, jasmine, stale sweat, exhaust fumes, eucalyp...

 Duesso to Villaviciosa 18km One of the highlights of Sunday night TV back in the 1970"s was settling down to watch Mastermind and to see if we, as a family, could manage to get any of the questions right by the end of the program. The answer was normally no.  Now there are several people I have encountered during the past couple of weeks whose specialist subject on Mastermind would certainly be 'the Camino del Norte". Some Camino "experts" are very low key in the tips and adice that they offer, others are how shall I put it. 'more keen' to share their experiences and advice which I have listened too but also taken with a liberal pinch of salt. The host back in the day was off course Magnus Magnussun, famous for his catchphrase "I've started, so I'll finish', something that has been playing on my mind in recent days. Leaving the UK the plan was to walk the Camino del Norte to Villaviciosa and then jump across to walk the Camin...

Ribidesella to Duesos 15km So sometimes even though planned treats don't quite work out as one might have hoped, they do provide tales that grow and develop with each retelling. After yesterday's little step back from the Camino, which despite giving me some space to myself also felt strange as I missed the companionship of my fellow pilgrims. And the by now inate routine; last night as I was getting ready to go to bed my fellow hotel guest were getting ready to go out. So despite a delayed start to the day, as I only had a short distance to travel, it was nice to fall back into the familiar rhythm again. And what an unexpected delight it has been. Brief walks together with familiar faces, a fabulous mid morning coffee spot serenaded by a fellow pilgrim playing guitar, meeting a fellow Lancastrian who lives out here and a reminiscence about a Wigan 'pie barm', weather that got better as the day progressed, beautiful coastal paths, stunning surprise coves, midday bee...

  Llannes to Ribadasella 29km In many ways the real heartbeat of the Camino is not the path that you walk but the albergues that pilgrims tend to stay in at the end of each days walk. For those wondering what an albergue is, I guess the nearest equivalent would be youth hostel but only open to those in possession of a pilgrim passport and undertaking a Camino, in contrast to a hostel which is open to anyone. Some are all singing, all dancing state of the art affairs with all the kids cans you could ever wish for. Others are more basic, down to earth places. All are central to Camino life. For what all of them have in common is that they are gathering places. And together people of all ages, shapes, sizes, nationalities, levels of fitness, hopes and dreams gather with familiar and new faces, in bathrooms, dormitories, kitchens, laundry rooms, lounges, gardens, shoe rooms, and other assorted locations to debrief from the day just gone and the walk that lies ahead. Over food, drin...

  San Vincent de Barque to Llannes 42km (minus 12) Guidebooks are written for a reason. To guide, to assist, to suggest, to help. Take your pick. They can off course be subjective with one author's 'must see' not even rating a mention in another's offering. And when it comes to guides for the Camino, we'll the most useful guidance they offer is how to divide the whole route up into stages. Managable stages. But off course it can only ever be 'guidance' that one can chose to listen too and adhere too, or adapt as one might seem fit from the comfort of an arm chair on a wet February night when the 'expert guidance' of how far to walk seems a bit low. Setting off I had planned how far I would walk each day and had reserved/booked accommodation accordingly, in the knowledge that if I had a slow day I would still have a bed waiting for me. But the downside is that it means I have to get from A to B each day. What I hadn't accounted for with said plan,...

  Santillan de Mar to San Vincent de Barque 36.5km For the first 61 years of my life I had no real need of a mobile phone. I didn't feel I was missing out and was quite happy to have both hands free and my vision not cast permeantly down at a screen when out and about. I didn't  suffer from FOMO (look it up if you don't know what it means for FOMO...lol) Then faced with this trip and a gift voucher I needed to redeem before it expired, I took the plunge and joined what appears to be the rest of the world. Not I hasten to add to particularly use as a phone but more as a camera during the trip and as a way to WhatsApp 'TOM' to find out what's up! Indeed my first two months Tesco mobile bill showed I had made 2 calls and sent 3 texts and still had 11.99GB of my 12GB data left. All of which brings me to the digital Camino. Compared to how I remember the Camino Frances back in 2017, everything now seems to be done online. Accommodation is booked and paid for...

Boo de Pelegios to Santillana del Mar 23.1km I am writing this sat in the El Convent alburgue in Santillana del Mar. It is according to my guide a town built on lies. Three lies in fact. It isn't sacred (santa), it isn't flat (llana) and it doesn't have any sea (mar).  On the negative side, possibly due to a mix up with the route, today it was a pretty...wait for it...pretty grim route. So much so that I considered changing the name of the route to the Camino Dull Norte. It was long stretches through non description (and closed ) rural villages, a long stretch along a dirt road following some sort of pipeline and long, long stretches walking along the side of busy main roads. And I was not alone in my dislike for today's walk with several fellow pilgrims voicing a similar opinion during a debrief coffee.  But on the plus side it has only been 4 hours walk to get here., with a 3 min train journey thrown in at the start of the day to avoid a 13km detour (the highlig...

  Guermes to Boo de Pelegios  26km  Did you ever hear the story about the day David Beckham was seen in his local Waitrose just staring at cartons of orange juice. When asked by an inquisitive shopper what he was doing, soon to be Sir David replied "Sssh, it says concentrate". Which is exactly what he was doing and exactly what I have been doing on this Camino. Concentrating that I don't get lost by missing one of the wayside direction signs which are at times not as easy as one ,might expect. In the best scenario it is a bright yellow arrow and scallop shell on a blue background usually placed at eye level.  Or it could be on a road side bollard, or painted onto wall, traffic sign , lamp post, roadside crash barrier or in miniature on a bench or rubbish bin. In some places, normally the big cities, all of these have been dispensed with in favour of having directions in the pavement. One lack of concentration and you might stray off route. Then I hav...

  Larado to Guermes 28.4km There is a question asked by many travellers around the world. "how do you know if someone is American? The answer is simple. You can hear them. Today , on what has been hy far and away the busiest day so far, our colonial cousins appeared on the Camino . And you could hear them coming long before they came into view. It was busy because we started with a pinch point leaving Larado in the form of a ferry which only began to operate at 9am. So with everyone being used to being on the road by 7am by the time it finally chugged into view, there must have been 50 or so pilgrims waiting to do the 5 min crossing.  It also meant there were 50 pilgrims disembarking at Santona, all frantically searching for the tell tale yellow arrow or scallop shell. From days of often solitary walking the early part of the day felt a little but of a pilgrim procession.  The highlight of today, was undoubtedly the 3km of gorgeous golden beach that we were able t...

  Santullan to Laredo 36km In the film "The Way", one that I am sure inspired many arm chair walkers to contemplate undertaking a Camino walk to Santiago, following a family tragedy Martin Sheen just decides on the spur of the moment that he is going to undertake the 800km journey from St Jean de Pierport.  He is approximatly my age, has a level of fitness that will get him round 9 holes of golf, he is using borrowed kit and more importantly borrowed shoes/boots. None of which seem to be a hindrance to undertaking such a challenge  And so over the next month or so, the film doesn't really give a precise time frame, Martin and his three Wizard of Oz like companions, all have a jolly, effortless time walking to Santiago, with not an ache, strained muscle or blister in sight. The walking is fun, carefree and generally just a Sunday stroll across Spain. And whilst I love the film dearly for a whole host of reasons , it is also very far removed from reality. Today,...

 Portugalete to Santullun 26km  Bilbao has been the first real point of transition on the journey. For some that I started the walk with back in Irun just seven days ago, although it feels like a lifetime has passed, Bilbao was as far as they ever intended to walk due to time commitments. For others the city offered the chance to rest, do some sightseeing and off course "party".And of course because everyone walks at different paces with different agendas and sometimes have to adapt those plans ie me taking the Metro yesterday, its easy to fall out of sync. The transient nature of the Camino is an integral part of its nature. Friendships are made that can last the entire length of the Camino and indeed far beyond. Earnesto and Stefano, two Italians that I walked with into Bilbao, met on the very first day of walking the Camino Frances last year and are now walking the Camino Del Norte together. This despite one of them living just outside Milan and the other ...

  Geritza to Bilbao (Portugalete)  22km (plus 16) Having already realised that 'my' experience on the Camino can ultimately only ever be 'mine', it also raises the question as to whether there is a right or wrong way that one could or some might say 'should' do the Camino. There are those who do it hardcore, often starting not at what many perceive to be the official starting point but actually months and hundreds of miles before often in their own country. All luggage must be carried. Nothing must be pre booked. You simply walk on a wing and a prayer hopeful that there will be a bed for the night.   Others have everything booked, often staying in private pensions or hotels rather than albergues, with their 'suitcases" being transported from A to B using a courierr service. Each day they walk in their designed labelled outfits, carrying just a little day pack and each night they will dine in a local restaurant. Doing the "Glamino' I call it...

 Monestary  de Zenarruza to Geritza 26km Before coming away on this trip I tried to get a sense of what it would be like. Guidebooks can tell you the practicalities such as the route, themlength of each stage, possible  places to stay, expected costs etc. Internet groups and on line forums help put some flesh on the bones, showing you all the Instagram fit views, scenery and moments. Only of course that's 'their' experience or at least 'their' experience that they want the world to see and hopefully like!  It was never going to be my experience and that has proved to be the case. Some of the must see views were unviewable, some of the must stay at places to stay were unbookable, and some of the unforgettable moments didn't  leave even an initial impression. Even a group of people,  walking the same route on the same day, in the same time frame under the same climatic conditions will experience  the Camino in unique and individual ways. As we gather at ...

  Izarbide to Monastery Zenarruza 28kms  It might not come as a surprise to discover that some of the hospitality offered to pilgrims on the way to Santiago comes from the religious community.  Tonight, at the end of what has been a day of contrasts, with killer climbs, lovely contours, quagmire descents and an 18km stretch with not a single place to buy food, drink or even pitable water, I shall avail of the sanctuary offered by the monks at the monesterio de Zenarruza. Not that I have seen any monk like figures since arriving unkess of course they are incognito and hiding in plain sight.  Operating on a donation basis it is as one might expect more in keeping with the 16th century when the monestary was built rather than some of the very swish places I have stayed in so far. Indeed some of my fellow pilgrims are a little lost without a WiFi password but it comes with the territory, and sometimes it good to have to step back from the digital world. After a co...

 Getaria to Izarbide 28km The concepts of time and distance are relative depending on the context. We have all experienced periods of time that appear to have flown by (my services) and equal periods of time that felt as if they had lasted an eternity (also my services ).  The same with distance for I am sure I am not alone in thinking that the distance coming back from any holiday is at least twice as long as the outward journey was. Day three of the del Norte has brought these ideas ino sharp focus. Looking at each days itinerary it has been surpising to see how long the expert guide writers have predicted it will take to get from A-B. Surely I thought it's  not going to take me 90 mins to walk 3.5kms ?And then the reality check happened.  I expect some of you have already started asking why is it taking John so long to cover such distances? Is he prostrating himself along the floor like a giant caterpillar...and that may I remind you is very different from Joh...

Day 2 San Sebastian to Getaria 28km Given that the working title for this blog is 'Slowing down to Santiago", steady is the name of the game. Some of you will know that I run and whenever I do so I run at "a speed". This should never ever be confused with the claim that I run "at speed'. That is a very different matter indeed. If I run a 5km, a 10km or a half marathon I run at the same speed. If I have to climb a hill it is at "a speed" and whilst many of my fellow runners are able to make up ground and time on a downhill section, I don't because I still run at "a speed". Walking appears to be the same. I have a speed. I don't enjoy / seem able to walk any quicker or slower that what appears to be an inate, built in cadence. Today, an a day when I expected every part of my body to ache, that speed was just perfect to cover the 28kms to Getaria. It"s been another overcast and occasionally showery day when ...

  Irun to San Sebastian 26km      All journeys start with a single step and in this case it was stepping across the threshold of the Jacobi Pilgrim Hostel in Irun. By the time I get to Santiago de Compostella in approx a months time I shudder to guess just how many steps I will have taken or how much elevation / descent I will have covered. And no before you ask I am not counting them either physically or electronically on some kind of fitness tracker.   No amount of preparation will prepare the body, mind and soul for the initial day with its mix of excitement and nerves. And certainly not my level of preparation anyway, unless walking back and forth to the bar to order yet another cocktail whilst jollying round the Med for two weeks counts. Still I live in hope that my general running fitness will at least give me a good baseline of strength and endurance for what lies ahead.   And what lay ahead was what is described by many people as the most brutal an...