Our host finally returning and revealing an additional room for our nights stay in Hornillos (last blog entry) seems now long in the past although only four days ago. Since our departure from Burgos Castile y Leon has opened up into a place of expansive gently rolling valleys covered with a gigantic patchwork of intensive crop farming. The mild undulation means that it frequently feels like we are walking to the edge of a huge plateau. Each time we seem to reach its end another new expanse opens up before us. Spain now looks a vaste land. Todays walk gave us [View Full Entry]

---

---

Burgos was a shock to the system. We were caught off guard. Not off guard in the sense that we didn't know we were about to go through the biggest city of the Camino so far but off guard because we were so unprepared to enter back into the chaos of an urban jungle. Having walked from hamlets-to-villages and villages-to-small towns the past few weeks with the daily mission to arrive at our destination and then find food and a place to sleep life becomes simple, relaxing and rewarding. The momentum of a city in full flow did not fit with [View Full Entry]

---

---

We have been somewhat surprised by our seemingly rapid progress. We have left Rioja behind us with it´s endless vines. Yesterday morning crossing into Castille y Leon province. We drank our way through several bottles of Rioja whilst in the region, of course only to heighten our cultural integration. By focussing our attention on an increasingly prudent application of the daily budget we were able to invest the evening´s remaining Euros in ever superior bottles of the region´s world famous export. Unfortunately, we didn´t quite hit the Gran Reservas. Although good wine provides more sati [View Full Entry]

---

---

Yesterday we arrived into Najera and found a decent, if not slight quirky, campsite where we are going to stay a couple of nights. Although a very comfortable campsite we think it's fair to say the place is a little passed its best. We're now deep into La Rioja and have been wandering past many acres of vines the last few days with little else seemlingly grown. The terrain has changed quite considerably from the start and the path is now majoritively tarmac or similarly hard based which has given the feet a little more to contend with. Our fellow Pilgrim [View Full Entry]

---

---

The 100 kilometres has been passed. The rest day in Estella two days ago worked certainly worked wonders to help tired limbs and to ensure our journey is more voyage of discovery than diligent plod. One of the goals that we have been successfully achieving is the 30 Euro a day budget. It seemed ambitious if not perhaps a little too frugal but has been supporting a very successful existence. The financial breakdown is as follows. Accommodation is the key daily cost when your transportation is by foot and your entertainment the world around you. The frequent refugios, hostals for pilgrims, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Although not totally straight forward, we’ll spare you the details, the camping stove gas mission was accomplished successfully in Pamplona. The Spaniards don’t appear to be the most fervent of 'proper' campers. Since our leaving Pamplona much has happened and another 42 kilometres covered. Although before we give the latest we must make a quick mention on the Dutch. Wow, they truly are everywhere and certainly lead the world in their numbers undertaking ambitious biking endeavours. On both our first and second nights camping the only other people that we shared the tent camping ar [View Full Entry]

---

---

The journey has begun. Our starting point on the Camino de Santiago was a place called Roncevalles a small Spanish village in the Pyrenees close to the French boarder. It has felt like a long time coming since we first conceived of the idea to begin our year of travels walking alongside the committed pilgrims that complete the 790km to Santiago de Compostella (in the North Western corner of Spain) each year. After two days we have reached Pamplona the city famous for its bull run. It has not been without early help from the locals that we have made a [View Full Entry]

---

---