With our sights set on Hontanas, we set off from Hornillos. The day was overcast but clear with no rain forecast. Not far from the town, Sharon’s shoelace came loose, and as she bent to re-tie it she felt a sharp pain from her hip flexor muscle — a continuing …
We walk in deep time, and slow time — writing ourselves into the Camino story
Today, we emerged above the clouds encountering a memorial to victims of the Spanish Civil War. Onward past a Camino oasis in the forest and the timeless alchemy of a bar in Agés to a Camino lesson in patience at Atapuerca where humanity’s deep history lies revealed.
To get to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, we have 21 kms ahead of us so it’s time for an early start. Out the door at 06.30 AM and straight into a climb as we wound past the cave monastery and onward through a rock cutting. A bright yellow arrow …
We started out from Navarrete with its ancient pilgrim hospital, past Roland’s Hut, the site of a David and Goliath battle between Christians and Moslems, and on to Nájera where a bird and a vision decided the fate of a battle, and a French abbot gave us the first Western translation of the Koran to build better understanding between two great faiths.
The council has upgraded the path to Navarrete out of Logroño. I really liked the anamorphic shadows of pilgrims and cyclists painted on the walls of the underpass beneath the road. We passed through the university grounds as we headed out from the city. A shrine stood at the entrance …
Bound for Sansol, we left Villamayor de Monjardin before sunrise, taking a farewell photo of the church as we headed down the hill and out into the valley. The kites soared over the hills as we headed out of the town. Looking back into the ripening dawn we could see …
Cirauqui beckoned. The day dawned with perfect weather and a well-made track. We met a French pilgrim from Toulouse, and we all chatted in English. He was a young guy but very interested in people’s stories, and he was really enjoying the Camino. The guy told us he was finishing …
With a quick last look out of our window overlooking the Town Hall square, we packed up and headed out early to the outskirts of the town, past the University of Navarre en route to Uterga. There we found a cafe/bakery and enjoyed a pot of tea and a Napolitana …
