Hornillos del Camino to Hontanas —a Meseta encounter

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 …

Rabe de Calzada to Hornillos del Camino

Sunrise Bound for Hornillos, I woke, still tired after a restless night, and was up by 0630am. We walked down to La Fuente for breakfast and by 7.30am we were out on the road. We had a good conversation with Jen from Lancashire UK. As we left Rabe, we saw …

Burgos to Rabe de Calzada

A 31°C forecast led us to leave Burgos early and walk through the Meseta, passing notable landmarks like a modernist sculpture and Roman crossroads. We met fellow pilgrims, reflected on the Camino’s deeper meaning, and ended our day in Rabe de Calzada, soaking in the historical and scenic surroundings.

Burgos — Time to meet the relatives

We walk in deep time, and slow time — writing ourselves into the Camino story

Burgos from Atapuerca

There was a sign in our Albergue to say ‘last person out should turn off the light switch’. Whoever was first out, around 5.00am, missed the light switch and turned off the entire power. So we woke to darkness and no lights or power. No coffee for us this morning! …

Belorado to Villafranca Montes de Oca

Reminded of the importance of communication, we passed a cave hermitage on our way to a town closely related to the Game of the Goose.

Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

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 …

Navarrete to Nájera

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.

Navarrete from Logroño

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 …