Friday, 27/05

Stayed on Tuesday night in an albergue (hostel) attached to a really nice hotel. We had an excellent pilgrims menu in the hotel dining room.... 3 courses, bottle of wine, bottle of water for 12 euros each. The dormitory slept 40, th biggest we had stayed in, but it was quiet and everyone was shattered, so by about 10pm everyone was asleep.

Left Wednesday morning straight up a hill and had a 12 km walk before second breakfast where we met Larry and Desi and an American couple (Mary and Joseph. We walked with them into Atapuerca where we had decided to stay on Wednesday night. Rolled into the village at about 12.30, so only about 5 and a half hours walking today. Checked in, showered and went off to find lunch. Lunch was long and full of great conversation and it was really good to spend time with these guys while sitting down rather than walking.

We were in a room for 6 in Atapuerca and Heather had a bed! Woken up at 5 by some extremely noisy Italians who decided they wanted to be away early!

We've booked 2 nights in a hotel in Burgos for Thursday & Friday, to give the legs a rest.

The walk into Burgos was hard with quite a lot of road walking, but got here about 2.30 after just over 20km. Met up with the international group we keep on meeting for tapas in the evening. Aussie couple, American couple, Canadian couple, and 2 Dutch and 1 Danish ladies.

We've spent this morning in the cathedral which is just incredibly beautiful. now time for siesta. Off at 7am tomorrow.

Where we are 24/05/16

Location service is not available

Tuesday Afternoon

Sunday night was another multi national meal culminating in an Italian guy and I going out for a pint with a young German guy who had just walked away from his father's business because he hated it. We naturally gave him the benefit of our experience and hope he takes all the advice on board and ignores it.
Only did about 17km on Monday cos we were a bit knackered and ended up in a rather strange place which was run by a piano playing Enya freak. Had a super pilgrim's menu at a local bar with an Irish lady and then ended up back at our hostel having drinks with another collection of people who we had never met before.

22km today. We keep running in to Larry & Desi from Sydney who we met on the first night. We've never actually stayed in the same place as them since but we keep meeting.

The walking is great. It's rolling countryside, very green with loads of poppies and cornflowers in the field edges. There's still quite a bit of snow on the mountains in the distance. The best bit has been the evenings. The friendliness of the other pilgrims/walkers is amazing. It's so easy to strike up conversations with anyone. We've spent an hour this afternoon with a 73 year old German lady who is doing the Camino a week at a time. Thank goodness loads of people speak English, but it makes you despair of language teaching in English schools.

Sunday Afternoon

Got into Logrono on Friday evening and had a super night. The city was full of people of all ages till late. Had pintxos (tapas but northern) and an all round good night.
Set off walking to Ventosa (about 20Km) at 7am and arrived at about 1pm. The walk was lovely. Hot and sunny and the countryside was beautiful. Went out to eat with a group from the hostel we were staying in. Aussies, americans, Canadians, Germans and a couple of others. A good time was had by all.
Left Ventosa at about 7 this morning and we've walked about 25km to Ciruena, a strange place which has been built on an old village, but most of the houses and apartments are still for Sale. Eating in the hostel tonight. 2 courses with wine for 7 Euros. More later.

TGV

Whizzing down through France. Left Paris at 7:30 and we're now south of Bordeaux. Love French railways!
I run at 1:30 and Logrono at teatime.
Excited!!

On our way at Last!

First blogpost of the holiday from the 10:09 to Euston. Train packed and had no seats booked, so we're sitting separately, but on our way.
Felt quite unsettled at the beginning of the week, but yesterday and today I've been cool, calm and collected. Walked our of the flat at 9:45 as planned. The only thing I know I've forgotten is the little blue plastic bits to unbung my hearing aid tubes!

Last Training Yomp

Last training run today, before the big day on May 19th. As those of you who went on geography field trips to view limestone countryside will know, this is Malham Cove, one of the wonders of the northern world. We did 11miles with full pack and seemed to manage OK. The test will come on the 4th or 5th consecutive day of walking.
While we won't be watching Liverpool beat Sevilla in Spain as this is played the night before we leave, we will be there for the Champions League final, hopefully in Burgos, where we will attempt to find the Atletico bar in which to watch Diego Simeones men put one over Real.
The next post will be from somewhere in France, assuming Eurostar or the hotel in Paris have weefee, unless of course we poison ourselves with permethrin, which we intend spraying the sleeping bags with to keep the bedbugs away!