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Published: June 29th 2022
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I’ve always wanted to try out part of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage that (at least the St. James Way/French Way approach) begins in France and goes 1,000km to the Atlantic. I only walked about 100k, from Pamplona to Logroño. It’s easy to follow and heavily trafficked, so there’s no reason to provide directions or other details. Instead, here are some brilliant observations to make room for photos and videos:
Puente Magdalena When I arrived in Pamplona I couldn’t figure out where I could pick up the Camino the next morning. The only thing I could find online is that it crosses the Magdalena Bridge. But the city walls made it hard to get to, so it took a good 40 minutes. I found it and followed the signs and markers, which passed right by the front door of my apartment.
El Vino Tinto I walked through the Rioja region, so red wine was everywhere. Heaven.
"Buen Camino!" It means have a good walk/journey. I grew sick of hearing it from every person I passed within the first 2 hours of the first day. In one case, a group of 20ish
bikers passed and literally everyone said it.
Ain't Like It Used to Be I wouldn’t know how it used to be, but I do know how trails tend to work. If hardly anyone else is on it and you run into someone, you talk for a while. Once it becomes a little more crowded, people say hi or nod. But if it’s very crowded, like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge or running along the river on a nice day in Austin, TX - a hello to a stranger implies an ulterior motive. The only thing that tends to break the ice on the Camino is if you’ve seen each other several days in a row.
“¿Hay un Cello?” Is there a seal/stamp? A lot of people have Camino passports and get stamps along the way. Even bars have them. I came out of an abandoned hilltop church and told a couple eating lunch that they could go inside but when I told them there was no stamp, they lost interest.
¿Quien Son Peregrinos? Who are pilgrims? This is not backpacking. Any reasonably healthy person could walk at least a portion of
the trail, though there are different degrees of suffering. It’s like those old children’s activity books that say “Ages 8-80.” They’re all out there: some are wearing flip-flops and jeans; some are school groups; some are pulling carts with loads of supplies; some are obviously trying to lose weight. Most people (besides me, who is just following “because it is there”) are doing it for some purpose, but not many seem to have a religious purpose.
El Camino The Camino is a mix of cobblestone streets, dirt paths, highway shoulders, jeepable roads, and graffiti-filled tunnels, Walking through the hill towns was my favorite part. These towns struggle to hold their populations because most young people want to go to the cities, but you never know what you’ll run into.
¿Buen Sitio? Other than in the towns, it’s hard to find somewhere to rest, since inevitably any good spot just off the trail is also a good place to pee, as evidenced by the smell and discarded tissues.
Overall, I enjoyed the walk, though I don’t know if I’ll ever do another section, since I usually prefer to make my own way.
There are many more photos below.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Scenic valley
So beautiful.