September 28th we leave Edinburgh but time is sadly short so we will arrive Santander that night and work our way down to the Camino Frances and start around Burgos.
As with all caminos, we will make a plan just so we can ignore it.
I was deliberating on my favourite places and how I want to try and make sure I get there, but there are so many. I decided it was better to tackle the places I've always wanted to stay at but never quite managed it.
Here's my list of must stop at either this year or next.
It would be great to walk through Roncesvalles and Burguette and stop at Espinal but its never gonna happen so I might as well give up now. If as happened last year, if I do get offered the outside toilets and the basement room in Roncesvalles, it will happen, as that room really was the pits and your only reward is a good meal and bevy in Roncesvalles. If you have walked the pyrenees you want one of the upstairs bunks not the cesspool basement with outside toilets and showers.
So maybe Espinal in 2017 but also that would help me stay in Uterga or Obanos. There's a great new Albergue in Obanos just short of puente la reina (or was it uterga), either way its set back off the road and I've had drinks there twice, in 2017 we will stop there.
I've always stayed up on the hill in Puente la Reina in the albergue Santiago Apostol. Its got fond memories as its full of pilgrim ghosts I met there for the first time on previous caminos, but I've stayed there 5 times and I really need to give it a rest. If I do stay in Obanos, it makes Lorca a far more likely stopping point, another place I've enjoyed the breakfast, elevenses or lunch in but never stayed.
Its the time honoured tradition of the camino that you get into a rhythm with your body as well as your fellow pellegrinos and although you might have chosen a place to stop, your body wants to carry on or stop earlier so your plans become much more fluid.
One thing that is reliable is your body always chooses the end of day if you walk too far, but I digress. If you do stop at Lorca it means you will lunch in Estella and in all likelihood stop at Montjardin. I loved Montjardin set high on the hill, but I also like Los Arcos (12km further down the vineyard trail). The atmosphere in the square in Los Arcos is always good fun but Villamayor de Montjardin is quieter and that intimacy is an intrinsic part of the camino too. There's not the need to call time in Montjardin as the door largely stays open in the 4euro basic accomodation, whereas down in Los Arcos you can easily be chased out of the square at 9pm as the hopitalero reminds you the albergue is closing its doors. As you run back in clutching your wine bottle, waving your bye byes you are reminded that others are sleeping and its a fairly cramped albergue. The other option of course is carnage, you get a private room at one of the many hostals. This is fine if you book at 2pm from Montjardin (arriving at 5-6pm), but not if you arrive at 2pm in Los Arcos. If you shower and walk into the square by the church in early afternoon, you will be dragged into a fantastic 8 hour drinking spree that will challenge your senses on the 2 minute walk back to your hostal and a long lie will ensue.
This is no bad thing as its approaching the end of your first week and a rest day should beckon, but I like the walk to Torres del Rio and although the last part to Viana is less attractive, the town of Viana is one I would like to try one day. I've always had lunch there as part of a big walk to Logrono.
The new walk from Viana to Logrono take in the other side of the road and you cross the motorway on a high walk and then an underpass before reaching the steep downhill that take you into the city crematorium and riverside walk. The downhill section is when you go past the wonderful woman who offers you a stamp. It is also the first time you fully recognise the scents of the camino. You get out your "Scratch'n'sniff" camino card and scratch of incontinent, it is truly breathtaking, and my advice is dont breathe. She's a lovely woman and I always leave something, but I dont tend to linger for the entry stamp, its just too much. I once made the mistake of taking my pack off and having a beer just to realise when I sat down that it wasn't "love", that was "all around" but that's enough of that. You're only a short walk down the hill now into Logrono and as you cross the road at the Crem you'll see the river and the bridge that you'll cross over into the town.
There are numerous albergues and hostals, with my favourite hostals being very near my favourite street. There are two main tapas streets, Calle San Juan and Calle del Laurel. The latter is where Paganos do the best skewers in town for 1euro a skewer, I rest my case. Calle del Laurel is full of fantastic tapas bars and the two hostals I've stayed in are both comfortable and handy. Hotel Calle Mayor is superb and I've stayed there twice too. The one key thing with Logrono is try to book somewhere at 10am on the day you are walking there. The two hostals are Albergue Logrono - Pension Bilbania and Hostal la Numantina. Both are sitauted halfway from the camino to Calle del Laurel as it crosses Calle Sagasta.
To recap as you come across the bridge the camino swings right up the hill along Calle San Gregorio (full of albergues) and after 150m you can branch off the camino and go left up Calle Sagasta or continue on the camino up Calle de Nte. I always branch off and go to the pub or my lodgings.
The more I think about those skewers the hungrier and more distracted I get. I bought a football once in Logrono and kicked it all the way to Santiago. I think that was 2013. It was superb craic and notes on that journey are further back in the blog.
The route out of Logrono takes you through the town to vast parklands and I recommend you stop for a coffee at the end of Calle Marques du Murrieta just before you turn left to head over the railway. The camino goes left I think onto Ducques de Najera but if you have gone on to Ave de Burgos just take a left at Calle Portellejo and you'll soon see the arrows to go right through the park.
I think of all the towns to walk out of Logrono is probably the best. Pamplona and Burgos also take you out through University type areas with sculptured gardens and parks but they usually drop you at a main road whereas with Logrono you stay in your own world while you climb the hill past developmental vineyards, before inevitably joining a main road as you see Navarette on the hill.
For those who like to power on through the day a cautionary tale. I've seen heat stroke twice on the camino and both times it was pretty scary. Once was when Simon and I never got into Villafrance del bierzo and had to walk another 12km between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. I think Si was more sun stroke but he was really bad. THe second time in 2011 with Harry was when we walked from Torres del Rio through Logrono and tried to do the 11km to Navarette at 3pm. It had taken us 2 hours to cross Logrono and when we arrived at Navarette I realise I'd nearly killed poor Harry. At 5.30pm we checked into our rooms and he went to bed with water and a tiredness I'd never seen before. I never saw him for dinner and the next morning it was clear he'd survived an experience he wouldn't repeat again. 40km-50km days are great fun from time to time but you clearly have to choose a cloudy cooler day when you're unfit and over 50!
Navarette to Najera is made more enjoyable by stopping at Ventosa, otherwise you walk alongside the motorway too much but the stretch I really like is Najera to Azofra, or Azofra to Santo Domingo des las Calzadas. The deserted town of Ciruena with its golf course and 2000 newly built in 2007 and still uninhabited homes raises a chuckle inside me every time I pass but the place I love on the camino is Azofra. A proper one stork church, one huge albergue and two cafes town. Like Puente La Reina I've met loads of great people on the camino here and I like the vino tinto they serve in the bar. I like the twin room albergue for 7euros each or 16 euro single occupancy. I like the 2 euro surcharge as well. There's a lot to like about Azofra and so I doubt I'll ever stay in Najera but as a town to sit by the river and chat to pilgrims, its the tops.
After Santo Domingo there are many options, and I have taken the bus frequently. If you stay in Santo Domingo its perhaps one of the cheapest 5 star hotels in the world at about 90 euros for the parador if you get lucky. If you want to walk on though and go for the cheapest albergue on the camino, the ambience of Granon is like the price, free. Its like the albergue in the church in Belorado but much better publicised. Very basic it maybe, but there's a lot more spirituality in these places, and despite my alcoholism I do like to sample all aspects of the camino. I just dont rough it all the time, its that simple. We all have our own camino and its so important you understand your own rhythms at some stage before you shoogle off this mortal coil.
Granon to Belorado is largely along the road but there are some deviations. On the way to Belorado you twist in and out of the road and when you reach Redecilla del Camino you think, charming one church, one albergue/cafe town. Cool, I'll stop here. Dont stay the night! Its quite simply never improved in the 10 years since Simon and I stayed there and our friend from Azofra, 'Barcelona' was sleeping in the hallway as his snoring had upset his fellow room mates. We probably snored as loudly but couldn't be wakened. The smell in the morning was from 16 people cooked up in a room normally designed for one double bed. I still wonder how much drink we had to sleep in that place, but friends Helen and Holly confirmed it was worse still by 2015!
Once you get to Belorado however the options open back up so if you do find yourself at Redecilla at 2pm - just go out and wait for the bus, the stop is halfway along the main road level with the church and albergue. Belorado has an abundance of places as does the following 15km. I like Tosantos to look at but I prefer another 3km to Villambista if I am to stay. A lovely one (clean) albergue pueblo, although you can carry on to Villafranca Montes des Oca if you want a wider choice.
I'm going to point out one other place, Cardenuela riopico, just after you have crossed over from Atapuerca and 10km short of Burgos. A great place on the left just as you wander through the town. Its across the river/stream/burn about 30m from the camino, its fantastic value and the woman is lovely.
Ok that's enough for today, my memory is properly jogged and I'm ready to rumble, get in touch if you're going over Sept 28-Oct 12 and hopefully we can catch up.
