Leon

I have now crossed the Castilian plane from Burgos to Leon. This is the most monotonous part of the journey. It is also in the middle of the journey: in Burgos I had about 300 km behind and 500 km ahead - in Leon I have about 500 km behind and 300 km ahead.

Casa Nostra in Castrojeriz was charming but unheated and therefore very cold. The night temperature must have dropped to zero outside and close to it in the house. I had a room of my own with a gorgeous view over the valley. I also had a private toilet, as everybody else was living on the first floor and I at the entry level. To my surprise Antonella and Nadja were living upstairs. Then there was a Spanish young man from Valencia. He spoke good French and some English.

The night was cold but I was OK in my sleeping bag. I needed to put on my long underwear and woollen socks and hat, and use the very large and thick blanket provided by the house. I put it sideways on the bed, with the other half hanging over the edge. Then I put the sleeping bag on the bed, crept in, and flipped the blanket over. This made a very warm and cozy shell, where I could adjust the temperature by opening and closing the zipper of my sleeping bag. I slept very well.

On Monday March 23 I set out from Castrojeriz at sunrise (shortly after 7) and head for Carrion de los Condes. According to my guidebook, the trip is 45 km. It starts with a rather steep climb to the top of Meseta from under 750 m to above 900 m. Then follows a somewhat too steep descent. I catch up with the other guests and drop in at the first open cafe in Itero de la Vega after more than 10 km's walk. The other guests show up too and leave before me. I sit down with Josep from Barcelona. He speaks very good English and is doing the trip with a bicycle. When he hears I am coming home via Barcelona, he gives me his phone number - in case I should need help with something. I walk another 10 km to Boadilla del Camino and have lunch with the Spanish fellow from Casa Nostra. The private albergue is great. The food is good, service friendly, and garden very well kept. My Spanish friend is a bit tired and decides to stay there. I continue to Fromista, where I buy some vaseline from the pharmacy. The man behind the desk engages in friendly conversation about Spain, the use of vaseline to prevent blisters, etc. To my surprise I manage to carry on this conversation in Spanish. It is still another 20 km to Carrion de los Condes and I arrive there tired. The albergue is next to a church and run by nuns. These nuns are not at all austere, like the people in Logroño were, but very cheerful and friendly. The atmosphere is good. They invite me to participate in the mass, which begins at 7:30. However, I need something to eat and it is already late. By the time I have had a shower, washed my shirt, shorts, and socks, and found a food store selling bread and yoghurt, I hear the church bells and realize I am late for the mass. I am not wearing a watch and have only a vague idea of the time. I eat some and got to bed shortly after 8.

On Tuesday March 24, I set out at 7. My nose leads me to a bakery near by, where I get a loaf of bread and a friendly smile. The first segment of the day's trip is 17 km no a perfectly straight and flat road to Calzadilla de la Cueza. The high point of the trip is passing by an uninhabited house which seems to be used as a warehouse of some kind. I also cross a cañada - a route through which flocks of sheep are hearded. There are cañadas all over spain and I hear that one of them even goes through Madrid. Unfortunately, I see no sheep this time. I Calzadilla everything is still closed and I have a new blister at the front of my right foot. I treat it with a pocket knife (washed with Betadine) and put Leukotape on it. I have found Leukotape Classic to be the best working cure for blisters. Beware of Leukotape Sport, though - it will not hold. Of the new second skin products I have very bad experience. They pump up the blisters to a huge size and then come off. Several other people I meet confirm this. 6.5 km later, in Ledigos, I finally get coffee. After 41 km I arrive in Sahagun. This is a major city, where even the fast trains stop on their way between Burgos and Leon. The albergue is within an old church and I find it charming. I pick a bed at random and spread out. Then I realize that there is a Finnish book lying on the next bed. It belongs to Ilkka, who works as a reporter and blogs daily to "www.torilehti.fi" (in Finnish). I also meet American Liz (who says she is 50% Finnish), Hungarian Agnes, and Isabelle from Germany (who slept at the same albergue in Carrion de los Condes. Ilkka and I go out to eat properly. We choose a traditional restaurant and order a quarter of a lamb, slowly roasted in oven. It is very tender inside and crispy on the surface. I would prefer to have some garlic in it but it is very good. We also empty a bottle of good local wine, which is young but tastes quite different from the (perfectly good) table wines that are served with the fixed menus.

On Wednesday March 25, Ilkka has vanished before I get up. I heard some noise before 6 and he must have gone then. The Camino splits in two at Calzada de Coto - I choose the left branch, which does not go through the village. After about two hours' walk I arrive at Bercianos del Real Camino, a village of 250 people. Everything is closed and people tell me that I have to continue to El Burgo Ranero to get coffee. I notice that I have developed a blister to by left foot, between the big toe and the next one. I is very swallen and I slit it open with the pocket knife and cover it with tape. First it hurts but then walking is OK. I continue to El Burgo Ranero, where I find an open cafe. It is only 11 a.m. and lunch should start at 1 p.m. However, by asking nicely I get a very good lunch served. Here I meet a Danish couple from Copenhagen. We converse in Scandinavian, although I sometimes have difficulties understanding them. Swedes too usually have problems understanding spoken Danish while Danes understand Swedish well. I have made three days of 41 to 46 km in a row and got two new blisters. I want to make this day a bit shorter and only continue to Reliegos (31 km). However, at Reliegos the albergue is closed and I have to continue to Mansilla de las Mulas. This means another 6 km under the blazing sun and with no shade. So, this becomes another 41-km day (plus the 1 km or so spent walking around in Reliegos). Just before Mansilla de las Mulas I catch up with Fabrizio from Rome. He too spent the previous night in Sahagun. He is in his 60's and a very nice travel companion. He is widely read and something of a philosopher. He speaks good English and communicates well with the Spanish in a mixture of Italian and Spanish. We settle in a private albergue, which is very nice. The inner yard is paved but there are flower pots hanging on all the walls, which makes it feel like a well kept garden. The showers are cold. Fabrizio and I settle in a room of our own. Soon Ilkka shows up and shortly after him Agnes and Isabelle. There are now five of us sharing a room with 11 beds. Everybody gets some privacy and space to spread out. Agnes says that all she wants now is a warm shower and a warm room. When I tell her that the shower is cold and there is no heater in the room, she is devastated. By asking nicely, the girls get the hospitalero to turn on the gas heater for the shower. Later in the night it also becomes clear that the room is heated in an unsual way. There is a gas heater in the office room right below and there are slits between the boards of the floow. We get a nice flow of warm air - and a warm floor as an extra bonus. Coming back from the grocery store, I run into a Spanish man with a back pack and puzzled look. I tell him that this albergue is very good and advice him to try it. His name is Tomas. He is a single guy, about 40, from Madrid. He speaks perfect French and good English. We go out to eat with Fabrizio and Ilkka. I tell Fabrizio that he can speak Italian if he speaks slowly and clearly. He grew up in Florence and speaks very clearly. When I have difficulties understaning something, he puts in a few words in French or English. I notice that I understand almost everything that he says. Among other things, he explains his theory of wine. Of all the great civilisations, the Greek and Roman one were based on wine. However, the Greek drank weak white wine while the Roman's preferred strong read wine. Therefore, the latter won. (The whole theory was much more elaborate but this will serve as a brief summary.) We eat at restaurant, where the whole family is working. We are the only diners and the wife gets called in. Also their son helps (he is about the same age as my youngest, 16). The place is in very good Castilian style, with the house, furniture, and decoration matching each other. The service is very friendly. The food is good and the bill is 28 € for the three of us. We feel sorry for the family, whose business doesn't seem to be going well at the moment. The few men having beers in the bar cannot support the restaurant and we appear to be the only diners tonight. We round it up to 30 € and leave some coins, making it about 33 €. This is still not much for a good three-course dinner. I hope there will be many more pilgrims visiting this place when the spring gets a bit further. Unfortunately, many of the pilgrims are in a saving mode and cook their own meals. Our business is also appreciated in the local food stores. Everywhere I go, people keep asking if there are more pilgrims coming after me. Many of these small businesses are totally dependent on the Camino. Spain is a wonderful country, partly because there are so many personal and friendly family businesses. There still are many good food stores, butcher's shops etc. and each bar is unique, with its own atmosphere. This is so unlike most of Europe, where the big chains have taken over. I hope to be able to do my little share to keep it this way.

Yesterday, Thursday March 26, I walked the remaining 20 km from Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon. When I reach the top of the last ridge and already see to Leon, the signs tell me to turn right and walk up to the top of the highest hill around. I follow them. From the top there is no view to the town, because bushy pine trees cover it. I say hello to an elderly couple, working in their garden. They tell me to ignore the signs, turn back, and walk to the city by the side of the highway. They tell me that the way ahead is long and there are more mountains. I turn back and meet Ilkka and Tomas. Tomas asks a local man, who says that the right way is along the highway but that the municipal bureaucrats have changed the signs because jumping over the highway is very dangerous. It is such a typical municipal solution to guide people astray instead of providing a safe way to cross the road. Together we three jump over the divided highway (at the risk of our lives) and walk along it for a few hundred meters, before we come to the marked Camino again. Ilkka walks slower and Tomas and I continue to Leon, all the way to the Cathedral, which is beautiful. Its construction was started in 1253 and it is in the Gothic style. There is a large pedestrian precinct in the old town. Leon appears to be a very beautiful and cheerful town. There is much more life and laughter here than in Burgos. We find the tourist office (right at the Cathedral Square) and they ring up an inexpensive hostel for me. I get a room for two nights for 20 € per night. It is clean, warm, and cozy, with a shower and wash basin. Toilettes are on the same floor (separately for men and women). Tomas continues to the albergue.

Because of the tough cold, I was lagging behind the tentative schedule until Burgos, where I finally caught up. I have now done the 180 km from Burgos to Leon in only 4.5 days. If I were to continue at 40 km/day, I would be in Santiago on Thursday instead of the following Tuesday. This would be unnecessary and my feet wouldn't like it. Instead, I decided to spend Friday in Leon and let my feet rest. Tomorrow I will continue to Hospital de Orbigo (38 km) - and then on to Astorga, Rabanal del Camino, and the Cruz de Ferro (the iron cross, at 1503 m altitude). I now have time stay overnight in Astorga, which I have heard many good things about. Then I should be ready for the mountains that lie ahead.

The weather has been totally unbelievable. The sun is shining for the 16th day in a row from a perfectly clear sky and there is enough wind to keep the air fresh. Even if it should rain for the rest of the trip, I have already got my share of the sunshine.

There have been many more people, places, events etc. than I have time to post in this blog. This is not primarily a photographic or blogging expedition. Walking alone on the road, many thoughts come and go, and some of them would be worth writing down. However, I came here to get away from computers (I work with them every day) - not to fight with them every night at the albergues. This time I got access to a good machine, which even has some image processing software. So, I'll post a bunch of images, some of which are quite old.

Castrojeriz

I have just checked in to the private albergue "Casa Nostra" and the PC is worse than you can possibly imagine. I'll write what I can and will perhaps manage to post a few pictures.

On Wednesday March 11 I left the albergue in Logroño. The place was kind of OK but not to be recommended. It was donations based - but on entry they required a 5 € "donation". Internet access was accordig to similar rules. The door was closed at 9:30 in the night, making it virtually impossible to eat out. There was something not quite right in the atmosphere, but the place was basically OK and gave the chance to wash, eat, and sleep. The dormitory was large and there were severa people snoring. That is something you'll just have to get used to.

I said goodbye to Christine, who answere: "When you are gone, you'll be glad to have known me." This is what the fox said in "The Little Prince" and I think it was well said.

I spend the day walking with the German girl Liz. She turns out to be almost exactly the same age as my eldest son. She turns out to be very good company and the 36 km to Azofra go nicely. Azofra has a new municipal albergue, which turns out to be closed (it opens the next day). We are guided to an old albergue, which is built right to the outer wall of the church. The place is primitive but cozy. After a while, an elderly American gentleman appears. He is Doug from Boston. We end up having a separate room for each to sleep. Liz gets the only radiator. We buy some wine from the local shop. It is bottle on the spot and comes from the vinyard of the family. It is young but very nice Rioja (Crianza) at 2 € per bottle.

Thursday March 19 is a holiday (Fiesta de San José). We walk to Grañon and Liz gets to ride on the way. I too am offered another horse but I cannot ride. Soon after this, I fall down, tearing my trousers and hurting my knee. On a rather gentle slope the round pebbles under me simply start rolling and suddenly I am flat on the ground. I desinfect the knee (with Betadine) and let it dry out in the sun and breeze. Grañon is probably the best albergue on the Camino. It is built within an old church and the entrance is through the bell tower. Pablo (or was it Paco, I am terrible with names) is a wonderful hospitalero, serving us coffee, dinner, and breakfast. Payment is to a box with the text: "Leave what you can or take what you need". What a difference from Logroño! Soon after us appear four German and Swiss you people and a charming French gentleman from Bordeaux - Michel. Michel is doing his 10th (and last) Camino. He knows everything about the road, its history, buildings, saints, etc. I get excellent lectures from him in very articulate French. Pablo has also done 10 Caminos and is now on a two-week holiday from his job in Barcelona, working as a hospitalero, paying forward what he has received from the Camino. I later hear from others that Grañon is legendary - and for a good reason.

On Friday March 20, I continue to Villafranca Montes de Oca. A very primitive but friendly albergue. This is the last resting place before crossing the "Goose Mountains". The beds are very short (maybe 180 to 185 cm, I am 188 standing up) and blocked at both ends with boards. There is no way to be comfortable in it. I finally find a way to get some sleep by setting myself in a diagoal position, with the feet extending outside the bed. In the albergue I meet Jesus. He is an excavator operator from the North of Spain. He is doing his second Camino in segments. The four-day weekend of San Jose gives him an opportunity to do a good part of the way. He is very nice and helpful and we go through my travel plans together. He only speaks Spansh but we get along just fine. He also keeps up a good pace on the road.

On Saturday March 21, I walk to Burgos. The distance is some 36 km. I pass through San Juan de Ortega, named after the saint who lies buried in the church. There are three sarcofags for the body. Michel explains to me that stealing relics was quite common in the middle ages and this was a way to make sure that the body would not be stolenn. On Michel's recommendation I take the bus through the easter industrial area from Villafria de Burgos to the center (about 6 km), and then walk the last 1 km to the albergue by the cathedral. I'll much rather spend the saved 1.5 hours walking around the city and going through a very dull industrial area. The walking distance for the day still becomes 30 km. The center of Burgos is quite lively and beautiful, and the cathedral is quite unique. It is built in the gothic style but rather than being very high it is very spread-out, with various wings and extensions. The albergue is very modern and the Spanish are proud of it. To me it is somewhat too sterile and not thoroughly thought out. However, for 3 € I get one of the best sleeps until now. It is only disturbed by the Spanish youth having there own fiesta in the streets. There is a lot of noise until late at night and in the morning there are countless wine bottles, plastic cups etc. on the streets.

Today, Sunday 22 March, I got up early and left the albergue a 7 a.m., before the sunrise. The weather was very cold. It was blowing hard from the north east and the temperature was only a few degrees above zero. Burgos is said to be the coldest major city in Spain. At 860 m altitude and very close to the northern edge of Spain, this is no wonder. Almost every place is closed and I find the first open bar 20 km away. There I have a large salade with bread. 10 km later, in Hontanas, I eat pilgrim's menu for 6 €. I feel like walking an continue to Castrojeriz - according to the book 41 km from Burgos but in practice a bit further away. The camino has changed close to Burgos and there are probably several extra kilometers now compares with the route in the book. So, I made a good marathon today. My left foot is giving some signs of maybe developing a blister - time will show.

The albergue Casa Nostra is very nice, with just a few pilgrims. The house is not warmed and most people went to the municipal albergue a bit further away. The hospitalero Juan is very nice and the house is a typical old house with a soul. I have a warm sleeping bag and should be OK.

The day has been rather cold despite the brilliant sunshine. The wind is very strong but luckily blowing mainly from behind. I have earlier burnt my legs, lips etc. Now I have good sun screen - both for the skin and for the lips.

The connection is so bad that I'll post the pictures another time - hopefully soon.

It has been a while since I last had a chance to post anything. Here is a short summary and some photos.

On Friday 13 March I walked from Zubiri to Pamplona, which is known for its bull fights and Hemingway. The day was sunny. It started as cool and got rather hot towards the afternoon. Thermometers showed about 23 degrees in the shade and the sun added to the heat. The breeze made the weather much more pleasant. I was suffering from a nasty cold and arrived to Pamplona rather tired. I also lost the trail very close to the end and entered the town from the wrong direction. My back pack was full of wet clothes that I couldn't get dry in the albergues. I wanted to dry my clothes, get a good night's sleep, and not disturb others by coughing. So, I checked in to a hotel in the center. This was the low point of my trip. I had no appetite and was clearly dehydrated and coughing and sneezing constantly.

On Saturday 14 I woke up 3 a.m. and had difficulties getting sleep. I eat some, pack my things, and sleep again from 5 to 7. I set out early for Puente la Reina, where the French pilgrim routes meet. The weather is much like the day before but the wind is higher. There is a row of windmills (I count 60 of them) on the ridge. You can see the windmills from far and the ascent is rather long and steep. On top of the ridge the wind is so strong that I have to hold on to my things while having a lunch. The view back to Pamplona is very nice and a new view towards Puente la Reina opens up on the other side. On the road I meet several other pilgrims from a number of countries. In the picture are Sayo from Japan and Christine from Canada. There are also Britishers, Koreans, many Spanish people, and one American on the road. The private albergue in Puente la Reina (which is said to be really good) is closed and I have to return to the official one, attached to a seminar educating priests. The place is very basic but has hot showers, kitchen, and a common "living room". Here I meet again all the people from the road and some that I met in Zubiri. A nice addition to the group is Estonian Olli, who speaks flawless Finnish.

On Sunday 15 I continue to Estella, where I settle in a free-of-charge albergue, which is very friendly and nice. They even offer morning coffee with biscuits, jams etc. I leave donation to their box when I leave. Here we are hearded to the local church for a mass. The priest is not very convincing but sounds rather like a tape recorder. We have a pilgrim's menu in the local Italian restaurant - the food is inexpensive and quite good. Many of the people I have met before are now staying in another albergue.

On Monday 16 I continue from Estella to Los Arcos. The day trips are rather short (22 - 25 km) because I am still recovering from the cold. Many of the other pilgrims seem to have cought a cold and are coughing loud, while I am already feeling much better. In Los Arcos I stay at a very nice private alberge run by Austrians. Little by little the same old gand is gathering here. We organize a dinner. I take charge of the menu and cooking, Alberto from Barcelona helps with the purchases. Patrick (a retired teacher) and Celine (his wife) from Ireland get the salade ingredients and wine and do a wonderful job at the kitchen (you can see them at the back of the dinner picture). Also others lend a hand. Together we manage to prepare a dinner for 15 people at 5 euros per person, including salade, main course, deser, bread, and a good amount of wine and beer. We have enough food and drink to nourish the three men (English, German, and Spanish) arriving after 9 p.m. Christine takes charge of cleaning up and very competently mobilises the people that were not participating in the preparation. This dinner makes us feel like a family. There is conversation in all languages and people are getting to know each other by now.

On Tuesday 17 I continue to Logroño, la Rioja, leaving behind Navarra. I have really liked the Basque country a lot. The people are a bit rough but warm hearted and the landscape is beautiful. For a wine lover, coming to la Rioja is an experience to look forward to. This land produces some excellent wines. Today I covered some 29 km and could easily have done more. This means that I'll be able to take back the time lost because of the late start on the first day and the cold. I settle down in the official albergue in the center, and soon almost the whole old group is together again. Probably for the last time before some are left behind, some continue at the current pace, and others (like I) make haste to keep the schedule. I will probaly not see these people again and yet we have shared the pain of the road, good meals and meaningful discussions. However, everybody has to make their own trip and their on pace, for such is life on the Camino.

I have no means to edit the photographs and the files are huge. I'll upload some now and more later, when I have more time.

So far everything is fine and the weather could hardly be better.

The first posting from Roncesvalles and Zubiri

I finally arrived at Zubiri over the medieval stone bridge in the picture below. My toes were sore and I had changed into trekking sandals some 20 km before. The road was muddy and I got mud and water all over my socks. However, this operation just may have saved my feet from blisters. Tomorrow will show.

In Zubiri there is just one private albergue open. After some difficulties in getting in, this turned out to be a very good place. Well equipped and friendly. They are even offering free of charge to the guests this computer with a (rather slow) Internet connection. The price is the same as in the municipal albergue in Valcarlos - 10 € per night.

I had the pilgrim´s menu at the local bar. It was a three-course dinner with salade, main course, desert, bread, and wine - all for 11 €. The food was like home made and there was more wine than I cared to drink.

Using this machine, with Spanish Windows and other software, has been more of an exercise than I had thought. I´ll hit the bed now and continue to Pamplona tomorrow.

It was only noon when I wrote the first blog lines in Roncesvalles and there were 7 more hours of daylight left. I decided to try to continue to Zubiri today, unless I would get too tired.

The people have been extremely friendly. They don't consider pilgrims a pest but rather appreciated guests. Totals strangers say hello, most cars leave a lot of space when passing, the drivers flash their ligths etc. Also at the pilgrims' office and albergues the atmosphere is very friendly. So far this has been absolutely wonderful. The back pack is bit on the heavy side but my feeling is lighter than in a long time.

On Thursday the sun was shining. We crossed the Pyrenees, passing through snow on the last patch. Ibaneta pass was at 1054 m.

The albergue in Valcarlos was great. Newly renovated, clean, warm, and well equipped. I can warmly recommend it to anyone. I was the first guest. About an hour after me appeared two Italian women Antonella and Nadia. We had a good conversation in a mixture of French and Italian. We ate dinner together (pasta with tuna) and would continue on Thursday over the mountains.

On Wednesday I only walked som 15 km from St-Jean-P-d-P to Valcarlos on the Spanish side of the border. The weather was cloudy and the Route Napoleon (over the mountains, through the Cisa pass at 1430 m) was closed because of the snow. I wouldn't have seen anything for the clouds, anyway.

I went astray and spent almost 1 hour climbing up a mountain and then back to where I went wrong. This made me decide to stay at Valcarlos instead of continuing to Roncesvalles on the same day.

I took the train to Paris, from there overnight to Bayonne. In the picture I am having my dinner at Gare d´Austerlitz, Paris, waiting for the train. Wednesday morning I continued with a local train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

On Tuesday afternoon I packed my jacket, shirt, tie, leather shoes etc. into Marja-Leenas suitcase (for her to take home), took on my back pack and walking poles, and turned into a pilgrim.

I was on a work-related trip to Brussels with some colleagues. In the picture we are sitting at apreparatory meeting with Dirk, Sasu and Marja-Leena on Monday. Two other people in the meeting (and myself) are not showing.