O'CEBRIERO - from September 2014

The gang at El burgo Ranero

Food good - ice cream even better! From the left, girl, girl, boy, boy, girl and then me taking photo. As caminos go it doesn't get better. Thanks Rozita, Pantea, Dominic Sean & Ann. Buen Camino

Where to begin ...

Palencia cathedral

Lots of great stuff inside but a ceremony was about to start so I had to sneak out. Google it and see tapestries and all sorts of 8th century art

Palencia

It's all go in Palencia

There's a wedding in the church and the kids are playing in the street, fat Al has started on the buffet and one kid has just run over to tell his folks he's finally got his spinning top to work. Even if QOS win tomorrow this will have me chuckling all week. I guess boys are like that. Many attempts and finally a result. Girls would've thrown it away as a shit toy long ago. That's why the do dolls. Dolls are dynamic like scaletrix. You can add to them. Change them. A spinning top well that's pish, unless you are a 7 year old name Juan !! Go on Young Juan!!

Palencia

The train station is the hub for east west and north south. You can travel to Santander Santiago Barcelona Alicante and obviously the capital Madrid is an hour away. Less than that is the 15 minutes down to the gardens in Palencia. The river Carrion gently flows through them and makes for a great back drop

Residence of the Virgin

Oops nearly typed vegan. That would be no good if you arrived a horny vegan and met meat eating veg dodging virgins..!! Although there is a good pub nearby and among their tapas was a lot of veg options...see below

The view from hostel box albino

I never stayed here but it looks fine. I stayed in the Albany hostal. 30 euros for a single room was fine but I was really impressed as it was more like a boutique hotel and over looked the cathedral, just! Room 203 is one for the notebook like 206 in logrono. If using booking.com or whatever put it in supplementary notes. Last day of camino I went left and right in search of new tapas bar but decided old haunts were best except for one bar just outside the boundaries wall. Bilka. 1.20euro for a vino and a huge tapa. I took the tortilla and even by Leon proportions it was huge. To get there walk with the cathedral on your right, down a dingy street with the university And Jesus college on your right. Follow this past bellena a hairdresser and massage place until you get to the old gate. You will see two bars straight ahead slightly to the right. Cross the road three times to get there then gorge on the gourmet tapas. Just after is the little garden for the big building for the Virgin.

Hey meester can I have ma baw back

As much as I enjoy walking with my fellow pilgrims. there's something romantic in me that kicking a wee baw just works. 

I kicked this fitba from Logrono to Leon in 2014 having kicked one to Santiago the year before. A ball is a fantastico pellegrino.

Unlike walking with Paul, the ball doesn't snore. 

Unlike Harry when the ball falls down stairs, it doesn't need stitches

Unlike Stu, the baw go slowly up hills and finally where all three are concerned, the baw stops drinking when I do!

I got this one signed by so many different nationalities like the last one most had worn off by the time I finished but I had all the photos of them signing, just like in 2013.

As usual I left loads of things as we walked the camino. I left washing on the line, left my towel, toiletries and walking poles but I never left the baw.

If I get away in 2020 the baw is coming too!

Por favor can I have my ball back

A ball should be played with

This one is now in the park by the river on Leon

Blue sky but 12 degrees brrr

Leon cathedral

Knock knock

Who's there?

A tourist bus....use the 5€ entrance please

As ham and cheese toasters go..

I can only say €6.40 for 8vino tinto and poor mans toasties seems a bargain. Where do you get fed as you drink and then get 40% off or 65% off if you drink this quality Rioja!

Who really wants to win Spain master chef

Not this dude

Another new street on the camino!

How happy am I today. It's my day off and all I have to do is wander around sahagun. Just AS well. It's 31 degrees and I am roasted alive but the vino tinto is cooling.

My plan is evolving easily

Wednesday still here as its still 31
Thursday religious 30km or 36mansilla it's going to be 14
Friday early bus to Leon or walk
Saturday lunch train to palencia and then Santander . I think I can book here, online or go to Leon station on Friday

My code for getting in

I glued it to my head in case I get drunk and fall over outside. At least someone can drag me in!

Fatal in small bed big man shocker

The convent down the street is luxury but it is only 3€. More at 28€ so we are all happy! It's called la bastide

Still off piste - I headed south

North was Osorno and it gave my liver and legs a rest. South is palencia a beautiful city very pedestrian friendly and lots of greenery and pretty cool. Only 20 mins south of fromista. I get the 1.23 out to coruna so luckily it's stops at sahagun. Tomorrow I might walk back down the camino and swim against the tide to templairios- or race along to religieos. Train on Saturday looks fav to get me to Santander- 1pm from Leon gets there for 6, but it's a camino so plenty time to change plans!

Palencia

Osorno - I am going off piste

Fromista train to Santander stops at osorno so 11am...I go off piste

Last night at La Mochilla was superb. The dinner turned into a 64 year old Danish birthday party with the usual amount of drink. The food was superb and there were 25 of us drinking in the atmosphere. Obviously I had to say happy birthday in Gaelic which sounds more like the Danish chef from the muppets the way I do it but by 11pm the only sound in the albergue was a guy upstairs raising the roof and me downstairs trying to clamber into a top bunk.

I got up at 6.15 as I couldn't be arsed listening to albergue early risers so I became one. Last night's best friend was this morning's bastard, waving the torchlight, rustling the bags and grating my brains. My bag was packed and left in the hall so after the excellent 2€ desayunos I hit the road. So glad I did.

The sun started peeping over soon after but the dawn also brought the heat. Today it is likely to be 31degrees again so I quit after 17km and will enjoy snooping around Osorno the bus train interchange town. The train from Santander stops here on its way to Madrid. While the bus from Burgos to Leon also stops here.

Unfortunately I stopped for advice on how to find the bus station and after my beer and tortilla walked out to see the 11.30 alsa bus guide me to the station. I also got to see it leave and then confirmed it was the only one today!!

Now I have hotel with a shower...snooze time then I can finish that story on the www.Deadbeatfanzine.blogspot.co.uk website. One minor point of me coming out this May. Tommy & Jose have made it to Leon, but the others are spread all over the camino, so not much left to write!

Loved all the flowers but screwed up room

Big walk today and rolled into otero to stay at my favourite albergue but it was full. La mochilla is my home tonight. A top bunk with 6 others and a shower room where people walk by. A proper modesty free zone. Big hairy arses and that's just the women.

Hornillos

Hornillos

Where the sky meets the field

Slow but magical progress to sanbol

It's 10.30 and I left hornillos at 9am...do I care...not a jot...it ain't a race to that happiness it's just a state...and that my friend is the end of my statement

Rabe

Rabe

Rabe the

Rabe

Rabe

Hornillos

Hornillos

Hornillos

Hornillos

Hornillos

Hornillos

Hornillos

Isar - serendipity

Many caminos and many laughs but this is the 2nd time I've been homeless on arrival. Town is full happened in del bierzo to si and I in 2007 and today it's me in hornillos Del camino. I was up late so no excuses. St jacques sorted it out. I now live 5 km from the camino and I'm not alone. A few others fell foul too.

Burgos to tjardacos

3 hours to get here but the food is worth the wait. I will get to hornillos about 7 so hopefully get a bed

Burgos 2015 Fernan Gonzalez hotel

You want a reviw now do you? Well let me tell you I am in the foyer of the 4th floor because wifi only work for guys like me two days ago when I gave you a 100% review. Ok. now my room is small the price is higher and the WIFI shit. Do I tick the same boxes or just get off my srse and leave without saying bad things.....oh yes...leave ..cmon Al, just leave....of course I will. You have good and bad at the camino and at the FERNAN GONZALEZ. I would recommend go for it as the staff are lovely but sadly single rooms may be shit

Burgos 2015

Yes, thank you I can operate a typewriter, its the fucking door to my room I want help with please...

Jay got a new shirt but no boots or panties

Ian Dury wrote a song when he saw these

Matthias shows beautiful river route to Burgos

Is it a bird is it a plane...

It's super Matthias

Mattheus draws a picture on how to take the river route to Burgos

Only available at back door in Burgos since 1759

Walking into Burgos

I walked in with Mattheus my German pal today. He was born in East Germany but 4 days before the wall went up his family jumped to west Berlin as refugees. All the rest of his family stayed put so his early life was 6 weeks of joy during the summer holidays when he would visit his grandparents and cousins etc in the east and then have to go back to the west where life was pish. It clearly wasn't quite as iron a curtain as I was brought up to think although I'm sure at some stage he stopped going back, I will ask when next I see him. Nowadays he sees his cousins occasionally but they all thought he was the lucky one. Grass greener is so much a state of mind. His grass like mine is very green on the camino. He has a great sense of humour so today we played the buenos Dias game. All the locals reply but the French say bonjour so we say guten tag etc. needless to say Eddie Izard is quaking in his multi lingual humorous thigh length boots.

Hugging the left bank

Its the way forward

Walking into Burgos

I walked in with Mattheus my German pal today. He was born in East Germany but 4 days before the wall went up his family jumped to west Berlin as refugees. All the rest of his family stayed put so his early life was 6 weeks of joy during the summer holidays when he would visit his grandparents and cousins etc in the east and then have to go back to the west where life was pish. It clearly wasn't quite as iron a curtain as I was brought up to think although I'm sure at some stage he stopped going back, I will ask when next I see him. Nowadays he sees his cousins occasionally but they all thought he was the lucky one. Grass greener is so much a state of mind. His grass like mine is very green on the camino. He has a great sense of humour so today we played the buenos Dias game. All the locals reply but the French say bonjour so we say guten tag etc. needless to say Eddie Izard is quaking in his multi lingual humorous thigh length boots.

Easy Burgos route through park

After going left around the airfield go to this cafe. Left at main road for 25metres

Santa Fe

The primero albergue

Airfield walk is better than concrete

It's later and later it gets dark

During a late spring camino the nights like the mornings compel the walking pilgrims to get up earlier but more wearisome stay up later. At 9pm an albergue normally calls lights out as the September sun sets. By October it's assumed. In May it's superb you party as usual later and later. Here in cardeneuale the party shows no signs of ending. Lucky for me it's in German and I can't understand outside of Proust ... But I am accomplished at drinking ...camino style

It's later and later it gets dark

During a late spring camino the nights like the mornings compel the walking pilgrims to get up earlier but more wearisome stay up later. At 9pm an albergue normally calls lights out as the September sun sets. By October it's assumed. In May it's superb you party as usual later and later. Here in cardeneuale the party shows no signs of ending. Lucky for me it's in German and I can't understand outside of Proust ... But I am accomplished at drinking ...camino style

San Anton at montes de oca

As well as forgetting this is different time of year for me it is also frequently a different time of day. I arrived here at 2pm last year and the seats were bathed in sunshine. It's nearly 10am and it's freezing in the shade. It's a hot sun but a cold win. I just explained this to my hopitalero so he offered to take my picture. Glad my Spanish is coming along so well

Pine needles underfoot

As you descend to San Juan you are treated to the soft path of pine needles replacing the brick hard clay. It's so much better on the feet and feels luxurious to the skanky pellegrino!

Azueta- home of cats sticks and cakes

We stopped at bar alka something and really we struggling that morning. Easterly estrella was one of the hostels we left at 9.40 but after stopping in town for breakfast we only got a whistle worth of wine at the Fuentes irache- free vino fountain . We walked on and up for a while and arrived here at midday. With 5 km in the bag we only had another 16 to go...so plenty time to eat the cookies

Villambistia albergue

The thing about the back door is it usually closes behind you, meaning if you leave something inside you have to wait a while to get it back

Leaving Ventosa

It's quite an easy stroll down out of Ventosa before then climbing through a river valley part of the path. Good terrain for the man with the doc martens. As you clamber up this lightly forested section you draw inspiration from the summit and this one happens quickly. Through the gap in the trees is framed a spectacularly sprawling landscape. Najera and beyond.

Climbing out of Pamplona

There's always a good reason to rest the shoulders on the first day. This body is clearly a Temple but mine is a carcass and all I had the strength to do was take the photo. With 300 miles to go I was glad I was stopping before Santiago. Stuart was showing one weakness and I was all for exploiting it! Don't let me put you off wearing doc martens I'd said a week earlier but what I hadn't known was they had cracked and had holes either side. Perfect for the wee stones, aka the blister starting stones. So yes we stopped regularly on these paths. Such was my pilgrim duty.

Najera path is blocked but we ain't in a hurry

Day 7 santo Domingo