By Gary G. from Ashland, Oregon (wearing our Adventure Traveler Pants for the trek!)
Our first day on the Camino in the Pyrenees was amazing. The clouds kept temperatures reasonable, and the views were amazing! Sally and I both felt strong, and we both enjoyed the day. We dealt with a little light rain, and I dealt with some leg cramps, but we still managed to hike 16.5 miles with 4600 feet of climbing in just over 6 hours (32,401 steps!).
So far, so good. Now for a beer and a shower!
In St. Jean Pied de Porte, France at the start of our trek.
Day 3 on the Camino was lovely...cloudy skies and gentle breezes made for great hiking weather as we trekked 13.5 miles from Zubiri to Pamplona, Spain. Another good day on Buen Camino.
Yellow was the color for Day 5 on the Camino de Santiago...we passed many fields of sunflowers like this between Puente la Reina and Estella, Spain. It was warm today...82 degrees when we finished our 15 miles at 2 pm. Now time to try a local drink made with 6 parts cerveza and 4 parts lemonade.
Day 6 on the Camino was long...19.8 miles! But we did enjoy a sip of vino at this unique "fuente de vino"...a public wine fountain! Good times on Buen Camino.
Day 8 of our Camino trek was another long one...19.5 miles from Logroño to Nájera, Spain and temperatures were predicted to get up over 90 degrees. So we got on trail at 6:30, hiked fast, and took few breaks, finishing in just under 6 hours. Smoking!!!
We hiked through miles and miles of vineyards, but this lovely lake and swan was a highlight for today. Beautiful country. Friendly people. And great food and wine! Buen Camino!
We enjoyed a mellow 15 mile hike today, and are now in the tiny town of San Juan de Ortega (population 20!). This monastery was built in the 12th century to provide protection from wolves and thieves for travelers passing through the Montes de Oca (Goose Mountains). Thankfully, we saw neither wolves nor thieves today.
After 12 days and 200 miles of trekking on the Camino, we took a rest day today in the town of Burgos, Spain. It was a great day for strolling, shopping, and people watching. They sure know how to live here! And we weren't worried about getting gunned down by an angry man with an assault weapon. It felt very peaceful and civilized here.
Day 14 of our 19 day Camino trek. We left our hostel in Hontanas at 6:30 to avoid the heat of the day.
Day 15: 25 km from Boadilla del Camino to Carrión de los Condes, Spain. We started early at 0620 to beat the heat, and were rewarded with this lovely sunrise along the Canal de Castilla. Buen Camino!
It's a wrap! After 20 days and over 300 miles of walking on the Camino de Santiago, this is my last night in Spain. Looking forward to coming home, hugging my dog, and being able order food in a restaurant at 5 pm. All in all, another "vacation" of Good Hard Fun...just how I like it.
