Category: Blog

Sunday, 9/24: Today we make our way to Astorga, a 51 km ride in clear weather that has warmed up considerably. As we leave Leon, we enter La Maragateria, the ancient historical region of the Maragatos in the Leon Province. It is the transition point between the never-ending plains of the mesa we’ve been traveling and the edge of the Leon Mountains.

We stop at the historical town of Hospital de Orbigo where we must cross the Orbigo River using the medieval Bridge of Orbigo, originally engineered by the Romans. Historically at a strategic point at the foot of the Cantabrian mountains, its beginnings trace back to the old Roman road called the Via Aquitania used to link the Roman cities of Asturica (present day Astorga) and Tarraco (present day Tarragona). Love and wars are intertwined in this site: for a fascinating story, read about the Passo Honroso tournament in 1434.

It was beautiful to see this ancient river and place being enjoyed by its residents today.

While Astorga has been a part of history for over 20 centuries, it is a beautiful blend of old and modern. They have roman ruins, as well as the magnificent Cathedral of Saint Mary and the second site of young Antoni Gaudi’s architectural genius, known as el Palacio de Gaudi.

We’ve visited 14 cities/towns/villages/hamlets over the past 14 days and no matter how far back their history, the common thread that is woven through all these places is the people: the joy of living, eating, drinking has been visible every day.

Saturday 9/22: The temperature is hovering in the low 40’s so it’s a second day of wearing several layers as we venture to our next destination, the city of Leon approximately 40 km away. We make a concerted effort to limit our stops so we can spend more time in Leon.

We stop briefly in Mansilla de las Mulas to see their Puerta del Castillo of the old walled city.

We arrive by midday in Leon. We begin with a tour of the Basilica of San Isidoro and the accompanying Museo de San Isidoro Real Colegiata which traces its beginnings back to the 10th century when it began as a monastery. In the 15th and 18th century it became an important library that today houses about 2000 books dating between the 10th and 18th century. We were amazed to see one of the rarest codices in the world: a Visigothic-Mozarabic Bible that was the work of Florencious and Sancho in 960. It is composed of 514 parchment leaves and the preservation is perfect. It is called Mozarabic because the monks who made it were Christian but culturally they were Arabian from the South of Spain, Al-Andalus.

Then to the Santa Maria de Regla Cathedral, c 13th century. It holds one of the largest collections of medieval stained glass in the world.

Finally, we visit La Casa del Dragon de Gaudi (AKA La Casa Botines). My first exposure to Gaudi was in the city of Barcelona. Seeing this, one of his first residential projects as a young architect, and only 1 of 3 projects he ever did outside of the Catalonia region of Spain was fascinating. The story of how he laid the foundation, his genius in designing for the weather patterns of Leon to design the windows for efficient cross-ventilation in hotter months, for diffusing the heat of the sun light for the colder months, the selection of slate for the roof to manage snow conditions. If only today’s developers would embrace the power of good design for housing that can withstand the elements and provide healthy living for residents.

Leon is definitely a highlight for this journey.

Friday, 9/22: As we depart Calzadilla de la Cueza, the temperature dropped after the weather front worked its way through the region, dropping to 39 F. Fortunately the sun will warm up to 67 F by 3 p.m. The landscape remains the same as it’s been for the past week, fields as far as the eye can see, very little tree canopy. Reminds me of how life can seem monotonous with our daily routines and frequenting the same places in the neighborhood. Being in the moment sometimes is about looking for the little things. The unkept grasslands harbor tons of birds and as my bike nears the edge of a path, I inevitably startle them and they fly out alongside me, showing me their colors and shrieking their fevered pitch.

Just as in life we have milestones that set apart certain days from the routine, this day we realize that we will reach an important milestone in our journey, the halfway point after we officially enter the province of Leon.

We make our midway stop in a small city called Sahagun whose beginnings trace back to the 12th and 13th centuries when it was a center of economic and religious activity that attracted muslims (known as mozarabes) who wanted to remain in Spain. It was the shared experience of these cultures that led to a surge of artistry in wood, stone and brick. Seeking diversity in the people and places around us can also foster greater appreciation for the moment we are living in.

We completed a relatively short leg at 40 km and stopped for the night in a small village that basically is at a crossroads of major highways for the region, El Burgo Ranero.

Thursday, 9/21: Today started with a weather front moving through the region which brought rain for the first half of the day. We opted to wait to begin our next stage to Calzadilla de la Cueza until 12:30 when the rain stopped. Fortunately the 41 km was doable in 3 hours, even with the 10 knot headwind with gusts up to 20 knots (it probably would have taken double that time without electric assist). The landscape was primarily fields as far as the eye could see.

A stop in Villalcazar de Sirga allowed a visit to the Church of Santa Maria la Blanca. A surprisingly grandiose church with reinforcements more suited to a fort. Built by the Knights Templar at the end of the 12th century, it also houses the remains of members of the royal family of the time.

We did not stop, but there was a lovely green space for pilgrims to rest in Carrion de los Condes in front of the church of Santa Maria de la Victoria.

Arriving in Calzadilla de la Cueza we found a a humble restaurant whose proprietors were originally from Las Islas Canarias and we enjoyed a dark rum from there with our coke zero before having dinner with other pilgrims as we compared notes of our travels along the trail.

Wednesday, 9/20: Today we traveled the longest stage thus far, 67 km and faced headwinds of 10-12 knots with gusts up to 25 knots. Beautiful plateaus with fields of grain and generally low hills. Except the steep descent they call “Matamulos” just before we reached Hornillos del Camino.

As we approached the village of Castrojeriz we are greeted by an arch over the roadway.

Then the entrance to Castrojeriz with an abandoned castle at the top of the hill.

Finally, the entrance to Fromista as we cross the Pisuerga River. And a view of one of the connections to the famous Canal de Castilla.

It was an 8 hour day, with us cycling a little over 5 hours with an elevation gain of 1,437 ft. With the wind, we would have never made it before nightfall had we not had the electric assist bikes. Grateful for humility to to know our limits… and for technology.

Tuesday, 9/19: As we leave San Juan de Ortega to head to Burgos, the terrain continues to be primarily agricultural fields. While the weather has been warm it is manageable, averaging between 78-85 degrees Fahrenheit. The challenge has been continued windy conditions. Which we assume is the prevailing condition as evidenced by all the wind turbines installed along the mountain ridges. Over the course of today’s 25 km that headwind not only slowed us down, it also undermined concentration as you have to contend with the constant noise in your ears. Who knew that could contribute to exhaustion too.

We finally arrived in Burgos, one of the larger cities in the Castilla y Leon region of Spain. It was founded in 884 and is known for its industry and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos. Built in 39 years, a record for its time, it has been designated a World Heritage site. Just a beautiful city to explore.

The site where the Constables of Castilla welcomed Queen Isabela to confer privileges upon Christopher Columbus after his successful return from the second trip to the new world in 1497.

Walking up to to Castle of Burgos, we encountered the story of the Siege of Burgos when French armies under orders of Napoleon entered the Iberian Peninsula with the intention of invading Portugal and ultimately used the dilapidated medieval castle as a strategic base from which to operate. Although initially intended to be a point of transit for the French to reach their intended destination, it quickly became an occupation of the peninsula leading to war between Spain and France between 1808 and 1813. History is filled with examples of chaos that result from wars of aggression. Are we always bound to repeat the mistakes of the past?

Now the castle grounds serves as a park and viewing point for the city.

We are 301 km from where we began in St. Jean Pied de Port, France. We have officially walked 26.5 km and biked 274 km. Looking to tomorrow we must travel 67 km to our next stop in Fromista – the longest distance so far. We have evaluated the route ahead and given the wind conditions forecasted on Wednesday we have decided to switch to electric assist bikes for the rest of the trip. We have exceeded the requirement of 200 km by bike in order to earn the official “compostela” given in Santiago. We remember the mistakes made early on when we overestimated our abilities with the challenge of the trail, compounded by weather conditions, we want to apply lessons learned. The impact of consecutive days of travel only increases the possibility of injury from overstraining. Our ultimate goal is to complete this pilgrimage safely without injury. Onward!

Monday, 9/18 we embarked upon the segment from Santo Domingo de la Calzada to San Juan de Ortega.  It was planned as a slightly shorter route which would give us a bit of respite at the end of the day but once again El Camino tested us in new ways.  The sun was shining and a cool breeze was blowing at 57 degrees as we made our way out of town through paths used by farmers to tend to their fields of sun flowers.  

The first challenge arose with the wind forecast that proved to be accurate:  we were facing headwinds at 13 knots with gusts up to 30 knots.  After the first hour on the trail we calculated that at the pace we were keeping we would probably take a minimum of 7 1/2 hours (without breaks) to complete the 50 km to our next stop.  

We persevered slowly but surely, crossing the boundary of the Rioja region into Castile y Leon region.

The next challenge we encountered was an extended stop in the middle of a field of sunflowers to fix a flat in Tom’s bike.  We changed out the inner tube and got on our way.

We made a brief stop in Viloria de Rioja, the ancestral home of St. Domingo de la Calzada, beloved by Spaniards for his care of pilgrims and making the Camino safer for their journey.  For this he is also known as the patron saint of engineers and builders.  

As we made our way out of town in a gently descending path to the main road, Tom encountered a second flat.  The coincidence indicated we probably  missed the culprit on the tire itself.  At this point I located the nearest bike shop in the town of Belorado, approximately 5 km from where we were.  We proceeded to stop every kilometer or so for Tom to pump up the tire. About an hour later we arrived at El Salto Albergue – a hidden gem alongside a flowing water canal surrounded by apple and pear trees.

The inn keeper, Fernando was incredibly helpful in determining the cause of back-to-back flats (despite being in the middle of preparing for the arrival of pilgrims who usually arrive by 2 p.m.): a thorn that looked like it had been pricked off a rose bush and perfectly inserted on the inner edge of the tire tread . When he pulled it with his fingernails and displayed it on his thumb I exclaimed “increible” to which he responded, “actualmente muy creible” (actually very believable). After all the energy expended with the flat and fighting the headwinds and calculating the prospect of cycling at dusk, we realized that the remaining 20 km to San Juan de Ortega would best be completed by taxi — with a bike rack. Apparently we weren’t the first pilgrims to need assistance, nor will we be the last.

Arriving in the small hamlet named after San Juan de Ortega we settled in and recharged the batteries. We then ventured out to explore the former monastery and church dating back to 1142 which was built by San Juan de Ortega and his mentor, Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Having withstood the test of time, it is known for its unique architectural design that perfectly aligned a small window placed in the main facade to allow a stream of light to shine twice a year on the solar equinoxes in March and September. As the light streams in, it shines on one capital of the main column depicting the Catholic theology of Jesus’ nativity: the annunciation, the visitation of Mary by her cousin Elizabeth, the birth of Jesus and the announcement to the shepherds.

After a day of facing headwinds and adjusting our pace, changing gears (literally and figuratively) to compensate for the fact we could not control the wind, only how we reacted to it, I was glad that we saw the light: completing the goal safely sometimes requires asking for help.

On Saturday, 9/16 we departed Estella to head to one of the larger cities on the Camino: Logrono. The terrain was green with many vineyards and other fields of agriculture. This segment comprises 49.6 km with a cumulative change of altitude of 785 m. and many pretty hamlets and villages along the way.

We stopped in the hamlet of Los Arcos to admire the Church of Holy Mary and the Gates of Castilla (c. 17th century).

Also Torres del Rio has a beautiful romanic design of octagonal shape: Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro.

Lovely lunch of pinxos in the village of Viana fueled us up for the last leg to Logrono.

Unbeknown to us the city of Logrono was celebrating their Feast of St. Mateo, with concerts, bull fights and much festivity in the old town streets.

The next day, Sunday, we departed Logrono to head to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. This segment comprises 50.9 km with a cumulative change of altitude of 845 m. We are in the Rioja province, known for its winemaking and then as we get closer to our destination, we see the shift to fields of grain.

Logrono has a lovely bicycle path into and out of their town that with the elevation gives one a great panoramic.

Unfortunately we encountered dirt roads that turn into clay mud with rain and/or irrigation.

Walking the bike through we made our way into town – slowly but surely. This small village cares for the Cathedral that holds the tomb of St. Domingo, much beloved for his care for pilgrims and making their journey safer.

After a long day, we hoped that the day’s obstacles did not foreshadow what was to come.

Friday 9/15 we were back on the road for the next route from Pamplona to Estella. Now better equipped with directions and alternate routes for bikes. This portion of our route is 48.5 km with a net elevation gain of 870 meters. The terrain also changes drastically, becoming dryer and more agricultural with many vineyards and farms. The towns ahead are rich in history and reflect so many cultural influences over the centuries of immigration as well as wars won and lost.

The town of Cirauqui is literally at the top of a hill and boasts its fair share of former residences for the medieval nobility and the beautiful church fortress of San Roman with its arab-influenced arched doorway, remnants of the Muslim culture during the reign of the Moors.

As we applied the lessons learned from our prior bikepacking route, we took more breaks, especially between ascents. And we were able to find alternate paths with either paved roads that were not as busy or firm paths that avoided rocky terrain. Pace really makes a difference. You can’t expect to always run at breakneck speed and have the endurance needed to reach your destination.

And our destination being the beautiful city of Estella along the Ega River did not disappoint. A site of one confrontation during the Carlist wars in the 19th century (a series of civil wars fought over claims to the throne and political differences) it is steeped in history.

And last but not least, we enjoyed our first paella in Spain. Our family has a long tradition of making paellas for special occasions and I would dare say, tends to be very particular about the texture, taste and ingredients. Well, it is only fitting that where we chose to enjoy this delicacy would be the namesake of both Tom’s mom and sister. And again, it did not disappoint. Thankful for embracing a better pace that enables us to enjoy the destinations along the journey.

Tuesday we began the “bikepacking” portion of our journey on our rented mountain bikes (with saddle bags that definitely lighten the load). We departed Roncesvalles to head to Pamplona, world-famous for their annual 9-day Fiesta de San Fermin that includes “running with the bulls” through the narrow streets of the historic old town, or as the Spaniards call it “el casco viejo”.

We started on a firm dirt path through the Robledal de las Brujas (The Witches’ Forest) so named for the “covens” held there in the 16th century 😯.

Then we went through some beautiful meadows before entering the Erro Forest above the town of Lintzoan. Unfortunately the reference book we were using did not specify the terrain for mountain bikes. We encountered very rocky terrain (much of it on a ridge but there were ascents) that we’ve never encountered – this was definitely what they call technical mountain biking for approximately 12 km. We managed to ride it slow for portions, and walked a lot of it, pushing our mountain bikes alongside.

We got through that challenge and entered another stretch of very narrow forest along a rocky path that rose above the Arga River just outside the town of Zuriain. We’d been on the path for about 4 1/2 hours and I was definitely tired and pushing my limits. I miscalculated when trying to avoid hitting a jagged rock and when I went to put my foot down, I literally slipped off the edge and fell down the embankment about 10 feet into a thick brush that prevented me from rolling down the hill another 20 feet probably. Fortunately another pilgrim had been walking behind me and immediately screamed for help. I remember just assessing each part of my body for breaks – I knew I was scratched because I could feel the poking of branches along my back and arms. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to climb back up if my bike hadn’t fallen on top of me too.
Fortunately I could get myself upright to communicate with the other pilgrims and Tom. I took a breath and we assessed how to get the bike out so it would allow me to climb out. Fortunately the saddlebags were easily released and lightened the load to drag the bike up by the rear wheel while I held the front brake to prevent it from continuing to slide down on top of me. Between Tom and the other pilgrims we were able to get the bike out and then with some helping hands, I scrambled back up.

After doing another assessment of injuries, I got out the handy first aid kit I’d packed and Tom proceeded to patch me up with gauze and tape where I was scratched up along my back and side. Nothing broken, other than my confidence.

We proceeded to finish the last hour to Pamplona on the main highway choosing to take our chances with man-made risks as opposed to mother nature. Fortunately, once we made it within the city limits of Pamplona there was a designated bike lane that allowed us to use our own lane separate from traffic and we encountered a Spaniard who offered to guide us as he was headed into Pamplona as well. Entering the old city through the French Gate, we were quickly enveloped by cobblestone streets, ornate balconies and a beautiful tree canopy.

As I slowly pedaled through the old city, I said a prayer of thanks for God’s protection on this day. In the 49.4 km we traversed we had been pushing the edge of our abilities, our knowledge of the path and its hazards and not adjusting our expectations of ourselves.

We had planned to spend an extra day in Pamplona to explore the town and it was well timed. The next day I was surprisingly agile, only a bit bruised. While I sought a local bookstore to purchase a guide to El Camino by bike, Tom found the sporting good store to outfit our bikes with additional lighting for being more visible to cars on highways, as well as riding gloves and holders for our cell phones to be able to see our maps while riding. In the afternoon the shops and restaurants close. We then walked to Plaza del Castillo to have a drink at Cafe Iruna, (Ernest Hemingway’s watering hole while in Pamplona) while taking a deep dive with our new guidebook. We learned alternate paths that we could have taken in our previous route and looked ahead at our next route to plan accordingly.

With 21 days and 770 km to go to arrive in Santiago de Compostela, we realized that this journey requires taking a step back from the edge and embracing humility in the face of the unknown.