Camino Francés // day 12 // Tosantos - Ages

Camino Frances day 12.
Distance: 22.9km (264.0km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 820m / 968m / 1150m.
Weather: Sunny and and cloudless sky.

Ten days has gone since the first day on the Camino, where it was rainy and foggy, since then it has with the exception of the evening in Ayegui never been rain in the air. So as today, on the walk to the small village of Ages it was sunny, hot and a cloudless sky. And in addition, when it comes to the walk, one of the best days in a long time. Something else to think about, I am getting nearer to Burgos and later on La Meseta.

In Villambistia early in the morning, worn houses, but the small hamlet did have a bar.

Today though, most of the journey revolved around the Montes de Oca, at 1150 meters this is one of the highest points on the Camino. What concerns the pilgrims however is the fact that there is no places to get water or food before you arrive at San Juan de Ortega.

The sun is about to rise where I stand and look back towards Villambistia with Tosantos further behind.

The clock had not even turned eight times before I was out walking today, underneath a reddish glow in the horizon. I thought it was early enough, still I have experienced several times that people has got up at 4 or 5 o'clock to begin walking, that is too early and quite baffling to me. I like to begin in the dark, but only for a short time to experience that the world around me comes to life with the awakening light. While the sun was still notable by its absence, I walked through the tiny hamlet of Villambistia with its Iglesia San Rogue. There is a bar in the hamlet.

The ruins of Monasterio de San Felix de Oca, only this small part of the monastery is still left standing. In the background, three French pilgrims.

Until I came to Montes de Oca, it was again these small villages and hamlets that sat in the driver's seat. I nevertheless walked happily through them and the plains on my way to Villafranca Montes de Oca. After Espinosa del Camino, yet another tiny place where there actually are two albergues, I came to the remains of the Monasterio de San Felix de Oca. Not much was left of this monastery where the founder of Burgos, the Count Diego Porcelos, was once buried.

On the way up towards Montes de Oca above Villafranca Montes de Oca. Monasterio de San Felix de Oca is barely visible in the background as a small cubic building.

Before you begin the walk over Montes de Oca, you get to Villafranca de Oca and the first thing you encounter there, are the trailers standing parked at the entrance to the village, the road goes straight through it. Getting some food to bring with me was not entirely easy, they were actually out of bread, but the owner of the small store was kind enough to give me of their own private supply.

Large fields of sunflowers next to the Camino down towards San Juan de Ortega.

Over Montes de Oca, I first walked between oak trees up from Villafranca de Oca to a rest area with benches and a water fountain (where the water was accounted not drinkable); this was the most pleasant part of the route across the 'mountain'. Curious as I am, I had to follow a forest track leading away from the Camino, it lead me to an open area with an overview of the wind turbines at the top. After a memorial over the unhealed wounds of the civil war in Spain, Monumento de los Caidos (also the highest point), the route was a dry stretch on a dusty gravel track. I ate lunch in the shadow while other pilgrims walked past greeting me.

San Juan de Ortega, a classic parish church and pilgrim hospital, this has been a stopover for pilgrims in numerous years.

Large fields of sunflowers greeted me down towards San Juan de Ortega. It was here that 'my' group walked to yesterday, this is just an old church where it has been a pilgrim hospital for a very long time. The priest at the place used to serve free garlic soup (sopa de ajo) to the pilgrims staying the night. There is also a bar in the same building, so I had to take a break together with the gathered group of pilgrims there, for my part mostly new faces. I think it would be a nice place to stay, but I was going further.

On the way to the small village Ages, despite its size there are very few people living here.

My little goal of the day was Ages, and that place was not very big, but first a short and pleasant walk from the church housing the chapel of San Nicolas de Bari. Ages is a village that also experiences being depopulated, the number of villagers varies from source to source, someone even said that it was just twelve permanent residents living here. The public albergue in the village is run by the local bar (or one of them really, the little village has several). The albergue is nice and clean.

Puento Canto just outside of Ages, an old roman bridge on which a king supposedly was murdered in old times.

For such a small village, it had still enough sights to look at. Usually a look at the small places is quickly done, but here I spent a much longer time. A short distance outside of Ages, you find a small roman bridge, there were however no water running beneath it now. For a long time ago, a king was supposedly murdered on the bridge; the tale goes that the stomach of the killed king is located in the nice church of the village, S. Eulalia.

This small chapel was situated just outside of Ages.

Inside the village, I also found a sort of a labyrinth, the paths of the labyrinth was made of small trees and drawstrings. On a note, I could read that it was put there to focus on the overconsumption in the world. Outside of Ages, there was also a small chapel that I saw from the road into the village, I walked out to the chapel, but the doors were locked as usual here.

Ages. The municipal albergue and bar is in the street in the background.

I ate dinner at the albergue, which really was the bar, together with some pilgrims that I also had seen in Azofra. That is what is so great about the Camino, you get included when you are walking it. This was a very nice day, but tomorrow the small places says goodbye and a new and large town will tower above us, Burgos.

<- TosantosBurgos ->

Camino Francés // day 11 // Granon - Tosantos

Camino Frances day 11.
Distance: 21.2km (241.1km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 729m / 820m / 820m.
Weather: An almost clear sky.

Today, I walked to Tosantos, yet another donativo albergue. The time spent on the Camino today, was not as exciting as yesterday, consisting of mostly walking alongside a busy road. On this part of the Camino, the scenery had also become more flat around me. I could however live for a long time on yesterday's incredible afternoon; I walked with the memory of it fresh in my mind.

Leaving Granon in the morning.

Just at the end of Granon, there was a small rest area with a sculpture or some sort of pillar erected next to it; I went looking at it yesterday as well. The pillar now shone with a bright light, almost the only visible light in the vicinity, it was pitch black around me. A lighthouse on solid ground. Shortly after Granon, you leave La Rioja and enter into Castilla y Leon, the largest autonomous region in Spain. Where you crossed the border, there was a huge sign displaying where the route goes through the region.

The sunrise was approaching, when I was approaching Redecilla del Camino.

I stayed in touch with the group ahead of me, but mainly with Torsten. They had walked to Belorado yesterday, almost half way on my route today; apparently it had not been so nice there. Until Belorado, there was much walking next to a busy road, which became somewhat boring in the end. Fortunately, there was some breaks from the monotony, when the route detoured through some small villages.

A Camino waymarker indicating that you now are in Castilla y Leon, in Redecilla del Camino.

The sunrise came when I crossed the river Rio Relachigo; I had then already passed through the small village of Redecilla del Camino. Then tiny Castildelgado followed, where it also where a small albergue, then Viloria de la Rioja (not in La Rioja) and Vilamayor del Rio before Belorado. Small sleepy villages and hamlets.

Front of a house in Viloria de la Rioja.

The first thing that caught my curiosity when I arrived at Belorado was the remains of the castle lying on top of a hill above the town. I climbed up to it. The remains bore more resemblance to a rock than a castle. If you want a view of Belorado from above, this is the place. From up here, the town did not seem as exciting as Santo Domingo de la Calzada. However, it was fun to climb around on the ruins.

Look out for nuclear mice, the signposts are victims of much fun along the Camino. Walking on roads, here I was getting closer to the busy road between Burgos and Logrono again.

I was not doing any particular thing in the town, only visited the church of Santa Maria and then walked aimlessly around for a while. At a café on the plaza mayor, I met Eric (the pianist from yesterday) and some other pilgrims. Sitting here talking with them was nice, but I do not know if I would have wanted the stay in the town.

View over Belorado from the castle above the town.

It got hot after Belorado. Luckily, the Camino left the highway for itself shortly afterwards and went more along small rural dirt tracks, even though the highway never was far away. I passed by several fields of sunflowers that looked brown and dried out. The first houses of Tosantos seemed like holiday homes in the countryside, though it was probably just local villagers living in them.

The remains of the castle above Belorado.

The albergue, San Francisco de Asis, was a yellow building. As in Granon, the reception was warm and heartfelt. From the albergue, I could look up at the hill above, where it was clear signs of caves in the hill.

Up in the hill there is also Ermita Virgen de la Pena, a small chapel carved out of the cliffs. It was closed when I walked up to it before dinner, fascinating though. However, after dinner the hospitaleros at the albergue arranged a walk up to the chapel, where one of the locals opened it up and let us look inside. The chapel did not take up much space inside the hill; there were only a small church room within with not that many places. It was very nice though.

Ermita Virgen de la Pena above Tosantos. The small chapel is carved into the cliffs above the village.

While waiting for the dinner, I took a beer at the local bar El Castano. The road is going straight through Tosantos, so heavy transport vehicles pounded by at high speeds while I was sitting there. The communal dinner was good, whereupon we gathered in a small chapel inside the albergue afterwards. I joined in, despite feeling that I did not really belong there. There is a custom at the place that each pilgrim writes down on a note why he or she is doing the Camino. Each afternoon, some of these notes are read out aloud by the pilgrims, after twenty days the notes are burned since they believe that the pilgrim who wrote the note will have arrived in Santiago de Compostela at that time.

The albergue in Tosantos, Albergue San Francisco de Asis. I slept in the second floor where the open window is.

It certainly looks like I am in a musical part of the Camino. As in Granon, a sort of a concert happened here in the evening as well, not piano this time, but guitar. Not as exclusive as yesterday, but still nice. A pleasant stay in Tosantos more than made up for a walk that was a little bit boring at times.

From the evening prayer in the small chapel in the albergue.

<- GranonAges ->

Camino Francés // day 10 // Azofra - Granon

Camino Frances day 10.
Distance: 21.5km (219.9km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 545m / 729m / 745m.
Weather: Good.

I was wrong yesterday about getting a night without snoring; Jo, who slept in the bed next to me, snored like a drunken sailor. If it was strange walking from Najera in the morning yesterday, it was if anything even stranger today. Yesterday morning, I was after all in company with most of those that I had became familiar with; today, I sort of started again with a clean slate. I walked to Granon, where rumours went wild about the albergue. If I have not made the decision to stay behind, I would have missed the fantastic afternoon and evening at the albergue.

A purple gleam of light on the sky in the morning, the lights of Azofra twinkling in the dark.

Off in the dark again, but this time, some other pilgrims and I got some problems finding the correct path. We found The Way in the end and passed by La Picota XVI (columna justicia), a medieval waymark, in the dark. And when the light began to appear on the sky, it was with a purple gleam, behind me the windows in Azofra was twinkling.

Sunrise at an area de descanso, there were seating inside the dome where you could sit in shelter for potential bad weather.

The surrounding landscape was an undulating farmland. Before Ciruena, I chose to walk through a rest area instead of where the Camino went, the small detour seemed nicer. A building looking like an igloo of stone was erected on the rest area (area de descanso). The sun had just managed to get up when I got there, and rays of the sun were the first light who shone in through the door of the building.

An undulating farmland between Azofra and Ciruena.

I believe that the Camino brings a lot of good to the areas and places it passes through, but that there are probably some drawbacks concerning having the route close by. I walked past a signpost where it stood 'prohibido defecar', meaning do not shit here. It should be unnecessary to put up signs telling people not to do that in public spaces. Ciruena is mainly a golf resort, which seemingly explains why the place looks like a ghost town. Rows and columns of empty houses, no life. There is only life here during the season.

Alto de Matacon.

In the horizon, a hill rose up in front of me, with different patches of land forming patterns in the tawny acres. A gravel track goes straight up towards the hill and then wears off to the right before disappearing over the ridge. On the track, I could see small figures moving forward in unison, pilgrims on their journey to Santiago. This is Alto de Matacon and I had seen the image numerous times before I stood in front of it myself.

A shepherd with a herd of sheep crossing the Camino after Alto de Matacon before Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

On the way down from the ridge, with Santo Domingo de la Calzada in sight, a large herd of sheep crossed the Camino further down. A solitary shepherd walked in front of the critters. Alongside the route, Alto de Matacon was the highlight of the day.

Walking between the buildings of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, it was not a distant thought that I should have walked here yesterday too. Not just to spend more time together with my group, but also because it was such a nice town with a historic atmosphere. I had a long break here, ate lunch and visited the biggest attractions in the town with 6600 inhabitants.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada, in the top of the bell tower of the cathedral.

The bell tower of the cathedral stands separately from the church itself and it is possible to climb up in it. The view from the top of the tower offer the town from above and the barren landscape around. In the cathedral, I walked through narrow and small labyrinths. During my visit to the cathedral, I could also hear a cock crowing. It is said that those who hear this will reach Santiago de Compostela. In probably one of the most adorned henhouses in the world there is a rooster strutting inside the cathedral, there is a legend associated with this custom.

Ornaments and decorations on the facade of the cathedral in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Out of Santo Domingo the la Calzada, I crossed an impressive bridge over Rio Oja. The river was completely dry, as the landscape around; it was like walking on a bridge used only for decoration. You pass the Cruz de los Valientes, a cross in memory of two combatants from Santo Domingo and Granon in a dispute about ownership of land.

The bridge over Rio Oja, there was no water in the river.

I arrived at the albergue in Granon, Albergue San Juan Bautista, before it was open. I put my backpack in the line of backpacks forming the queue to get a place and then went for a cold cerveza in a local bar in the village. The albergue is in the same building as the church, has two dormitories where you sleep on mats and a very nice and cozy living- and dining-room. The laundry was in the bell tower, where someone had drawn the outline of a dead man on the floor, in the same fashion as you see in the movies.

Dinner in Albergue San Juan Bautista. The elder Korean man in the background called me superman, without me never understanding why.

The albergue is donativo as most of the hostel run by the church, which means that you choose yourself what you want to pay for the stay. A communal dinner and breakfast is served for the pilgrims staying at the albergue. What you donate goes to the dinner and breakfast for the pilgrims arriving on the next day. It is a great concept.

Eric playing for the pilgrims in the albergue.

The afternoon and evening at the albergue became one of those seldom experiences you remember so well. At the albergue there was a French musician, Eric, who ran a music place in his hometown, he had also played together with Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden). So far on his Camino, he had not wanted to play, but on this day, he found it too good to play for us. In the living room, there was a piano and from the outside, you could hear the sound of music, good atmosphere and spirits, and pilgrims dancing. Tired legs and feet was quickly forgotten.

Yet another incredible day on the Camino.

Video from the afternoon and evening in the albergue in Granon.

<- AzofraTosantos ->

Camino Francés // day 9 // Najera - Azofra

Camino Frances day 9.
Distance: 5.8km (198.4km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 489m / 545m / 560m.
Weather: Nice.

This day marked the beginning of the second part of my Camino. Today, I had to say goodbye to the group that I had spent the time together with on the Camino so far. It was a heavy decision, but I felt that it was necessary. I saw them continuing towards Santo Domingo de la Calzada, to me it became a partly zero day where I only walked to Azofra.

Early in the morning in Najera.

The reason why I felt that this had to be done was simple. My father had wanted to go the Camino with me, but not the whole route. Instead, we had agreed that he should meet me in Ponferrada and walk the last 200km together with me. To come up with a good meeting date so neither of us had to wait several days for the other was not easy, but we did land on a date, 15th. of October. Still several days left, but with the same speed as I have been walking at, I will be in Ponferrada about four days before he will arrive.

Cruz Malpica above Najera.

Which I did not want to, too many days to wait. Apparently, I was unsure of how long I would come to manage to walk each day, but then I have never set out on such a long walk as this before. Since Emma also had said she had to travel back home today, I thought it fitting to stay behind today. Not with a light heart. It will be strange to continue walking from now.

View from the cross of Cruz Malpica of the zona natural outside Najera and the forthcoming landscape around the Camino.

I still had to walk a little, so I set sight for the next place with an albergue to walk to. Azofra, just about six kilometres away. Just one problem though, you have to be out of the albergues before 8 o'clock in the morning. With such a short distance to walk, I would have liked to sleep longer.

Sunrise over Najera seen from Cruz Malpica.

I walked through the streets of Najera in the darkness and afterwards up into a zona natural. I carried breakfast with me in my backpack. Above Najera is the Cruz Malpica and my plan was to go and eat my breakfast there. And at the same time, see the sunrise and the sunrays illuminating the town below. It was brilliant. When I arrived at the cross, it was still relatively dark, so below me the lights from Najera and the small places further back in the horizon twinkled up towards me. Then the sun spread its rays across the landscape. A good start on an otherwise moderate day.

Sunlight through the trees in a zona natural, Cruz Malpica to the left.

From the cross, I could see the small rolling landscape the Camino continued through. The six kilometres to Azofra was quickly done, although I took my time. A short, but pleasant enough walk past acres and a small irrigation channel.

The Camino between Najera and Azofra, the hill with Cruz Malpica to the left.

There are 250 villagers in Azofra and the number is dwindling. This is one of several small villages on the trail that is probably kept alive only of the reason that the Camino goes through it. A steady flow of pilgrims leads to small revenues each day. The village seemed pleasant enough.

Small irrigation channels before Azofra.

The albergue was relatively new and to my joy, there were only beds for two persons in each room. I looked forward to a night without snoring. Outside the albergue, there was a small garden with a small pool with water in it. There were also a nice and well-equipped kitchen and dining area.

From the albergue in Azofra. A small pool (or fountain), places to sit in and in the background the kitchen and dining area. A nice albergue.

I did not do that much in Azofra. I took a walk in the village, quickly done. Otherwise, I relaxed in the albergue, took a footbath in the pool as well. Later on, pilgrims started to arrive and the rooms filling up. I shared my room with Jo from Malta.

Azofra, a small sleepy village.

For the first time on the Camino, I made my dinner myself, pasta with parmesan. Later in the afternoon and evening, I get to know for me the 'new' pilgrims, but my thoughts often went to the group that I now had left. However, I am just half a day behind them, but I know that I at least have to take a whole zero day later. I think I will be going to Granon tomorrow.

Ornaments on a house in Azofra.

<- NajeraGranon ->

Camino Francés // day 8 // Logrono - Najera

Camino Frances day 8.
Distance: 29.0km (192.6km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 380m / 489m / 670m.
Weather: Very hot, no clouds.

I went almost thirty kilometres on this day on the Camino, to the former capital of the kingdom of Navarre. It is getting near the end of my time together with the group that I have become so familiar with and have enjoyed spending my time with. Najera was originally not the place I had planned to walk to today, that was Ventosa, but since the rest of the group now gathered in Najera, I decided to go there as well.

Walking in the dark streets of Logrono in the morning, Benito ahead of me on the Way.

It was not always that interesting today, which changed between being interesting and not during the walk. The only thing that was stable during the day was the heat, which I could feel pretty well during the kilometres I left behind me. I went out of water some way before Najera and arrived at the town with my mouth dry.

Pantano de La Grajera, a wildlife reservoir outside Logrono.

To walk into Logrono yesterday felt better than walking out of the city this morning, it was as if the roles from Pamplona was switched, there it felt better to walk out. The sunrise was great; they are really bright red down here, but the surroundings was in opposition to the background this time.

Ermita del Peregrino Pasante, Marcelino Lobato in his 'office' with stamp, pilgrims-stones, fruits and refreshments for the pilgrims.

When I got closer to Parque de La Grajera, it became better, the pylons became trees and the trail disappeared into the wildlife reservoir. Inside the park is the Pantano de La Grajera lake and the sight of water was dear. We walked by Emma, who was sitting and contemplating the view of the lake, she seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts and we let her sit alone in peace. Everyone is in need for some time for themselves, and there are many walking the Camino that has some problems they want to overcome in a way or another.

In Navarette, an elderly couple was heating bell peppers on a barbeque, which they will sell to the pilgrims walking by.

The lake was perfect in that way, your mind will become more in peace when you are located in a peaceful atmosphere. Parque de La Grajera is also the location of Marcelino Lobato's Ermita del Peregrino Pasante. Marcelino is a lifestyle-pilgrim that otherwise sit here in a small booth and provides food and refreshments to the pilgrims passing by. With me in my backpack, I also got a round stone with a yellow arrow painted on it, then I carry The Way with me wherever I go.

Inside the church La Asuncion in Navarette, adornments in the roof.

Navarette felt in many ways as a natural midpoint of today's walk, on the same level as Viana yesterday. Naturally enough, the cafés, bars and restaurants in the small town was filled up by pilgrims, both familiar and unknown. The route continued past the vineyards of La Rioja.

In Ventosa, Torsten resting at the top of a terrace overlooking the small place, in the background the direction we came from.

Ventosa, which I originally planned to go to, was a small and sleepy village. On the walk so far, I had grown to become fond of these small places along the route and I would have liked to spend the evening and night here. On the other hand, the feeling of having become a part of a larger fellowship was something of the greatest part of the journey so far, so I set due course to Najera as well.

After Ventosa, someone had made a heart of stone on the Camino.

It does something with you, walking the Camino. That is maybe why there are so many personal memorials left behind by the pilgrims. Earlier today, I passed by a fence where the walkers had hung up own made crosses on it; after Ventosa, we walked by a heart made of stones on the route, as well a place with very small pillars of stones with a small angel hidden between them.

From the albergue in Najera, drawings on the wall displaying the various landmarks you pass by on your walk to Santiago de Compostela.

The first that struck me when I arrived at Najera, except the first place where I could quench my thirst, was that the town felt quite poor. Neither was it pretty. Later in the evening, I had not changed my view, the town still felt poor and not pretty. The municipal albergue was a large and long building, with a just as large dormitory, the reception was however very warm and heartfelt. Hot tea and biscuits stood ready for us when we arrived. The albergue was donativo, which means that the pilgrims themselves decide how much they want to pay for the stay.

Christel with her tattoos, milch and blut (milk and blood), outside the albergue in Najera. Emma, Torsten and Daniel are sitting next to the building in the background. Looking over the town is the cross Cruz Malpica.

As mentioned, the town was not of the pretty kind, but the buildings of Monasterio Santa Maria de la Real was very nice. Now it is not always the appearance of the place that controls whether you have a good time or not, we gathered together for a pleasant dinner in a small street-restaurant. This would be my last dinner with the group and therefore a little bit sad as well. Emma has no more days available and will be going home tomorrow. I have to slow down, so not to get to Ponferrada too early, where I will meet my dad who will walk together with me from there.

Monasterio Santa Maria de la Real in Najera in the evening.

A changing day, very warm and partly nice. Pantana de La Grajera a highlight, while Najera as a town was not so pleasant for the eyes. These eight days I got together with Torsten, Emma, Christel, Jon, Christoph, Benito, Signe, Pauline, Derek, Nathalie, Claire and Daniel (and more, Blaithin was a short, but pleasant acquaintance here) was wonderful, it has been a privilege to get to share this experience together with them.

<- LogronoAzofra ->