The PB big 50 Camino 2022

Its a tough gig to narrow the camino down to 3 walking days while staying handy for an aiport from Edinburgh so over the next few months the May camino will take shape as we pick and choose from a menu full of the views, the walks, the smells of the albergue and some of the best food you'll ever enjoy. The best part of the camino is the communoty of pilgrims you walk with and we'll possibly do these walks in different orders so we meet the same people and for those doing the full camino (like me!) there'll be a bit of continuity. We'll arrive into Bilbao and have lunch in Cafe Iruna before heading down to Pamplona(/Logrono) for the evening. Thursday morning will see us climb the hill to the wee tin pilgrims at mont del perdon before sliding down the other side and enjoying a beer in Muruzabal and Obanos before carrying on to Puente La Reina for 2pm The old boys will jump on a bus while the young team carry on to Maneru (1 hour) where a gentle stroll to ciraqui (1 Hour), then lorca(1 hour) before meeting up and walking to villatuerta (1 hour) and Estrella (1 hour 20) for a drink before carrying on to the evening in Los Arcos by bus (15 minutes). Los Arcos is a fantastic wee place which is a great pilgrim stop. I love Estrella, the vegetarian albergue at Azqueta is a delight and Villamayor Montjardin has superb views in evening and morning but I've chosen Los Arcos as that wee square the pilgrims congregate in has a great day 6 buzz and also it was the topwn with our favourite camino meal in 2007. Friday will be an early start on the stroll to Sansol (1 hour) before jumping the bus to Logrono and a lunch at Calle Laurel before jumping a local bus to Ventosa. The walk fom Ventosa to Najera is a lovely 2 hour stroll through vineyards before a wee drink by the river and getting the bus to ciruena and a 6km or one hour stroll to Santo Domingo for 3pm. There is another option where we get the bus from Santo Domingo back to Ciruena at 8am to then walk back over for 9.30 and pick up our gear if we choose to bus and stay in Santo Domingo! We will then get the JIMINEZ bus to Belorado for the last billiant 3 hour and 4 beer stroll to Villafranca Montes Des Oca. This is one of the top late afternoon strolls on the camino. The first hour takes us to Tosantos and the wee church/cave just a 5 minute stroll from the albergue bar. Next up is Villambistia after a 30 minute stroll, where one of my favourite hospitaleros runs a small albergue with delicious food and has a few chairs in the sun. A quick beer here before another 20 minute stroll to espinosa del camino and another beer and ice cream stop before we arrive 40 minutes later in Villafranca Montes Des Oca. As we will have reservations in the hotel we can relax that we will arrive about 8pm. On the plus side the bus is regular along the route so flagging it down at Tosantos or Villambistia is an option to arrive at the hotel before 6pm. Villafranca Montes Des Oca to St Juan de Ortega is a good morning walk. It's a full 3 hours through a forest and at a fair clip you can save 30 minutes but it is easier to think 12km, have a wee break in the middle if the juice bar is open and then lunch or have a beer in St Juan de Ortega around midday if you start at 9am. Then we hit Ages at 2pm, Atapuerca (3pm) and climb Olmos de Atapuerca over and down into Carednuela Rio Pico (6.30pm). There's a lot of camaraderie especially with pilgrims who stopped at Belorado (2pm), Tosantos at 3pm, Villambistia (4pm) or even Espinosa as they all get up so much earlier than Stu and I and are off and running at 6am to watch the sunrise. They wont catch us rising before 8am by which time they're already up the hill. IT's probably my favourite chuckle on the camino as the push pull nature of the camino pilgrim pass us by in the morning while we sleep and we pass them by as we walk into the setting sun. Those late afternoon beers as we joke about battering on up the trail to get an extra hour in bed! A foolish nonsense argument but past performance has always suggested early into town does not mean early to bed, it means 2 extra bottles of red!!

One option has always been to get the post lunch bus out of Logrono to ciruena and miss out the walk to Najera thus getting to Santo Domingo for 2.45pm before beer and bus but like all caminos the fun is in the planning and the laugh is when we "Rip it up and start again!" On the ground you are having such a good time, or the weather dictates, you just go with the flow. The next day could be Burgos - Castrojeriz - Fromista. Burgos for lunch and a bus to Castrojeriz before walking to Itero Del Rai and then a 2 hour walk to Fromista where the train goes to Santander. Or it may be bus from Burgos to Bilbao and back home! The only issue of note is we dont know what the flight times will be but an early Wednesday out with a late Sunday back from Bilbao has plenty of appeal but so does out via Bilbao and back via Santander. The current timetables for trains and buses suggest that we can get a train to Logrono which might be a good way to see Calle Laurel and then in the morning get out to Ventosa and walk 2 hours to Najera then get bus at 1.30 to Ciruena. Missing PAmplona would be tough but to miss any section is a shame. Thursday would therefore be a big day finishing in Villafranca Montes Des Oca. Friday would see us leave Montes Des Oca and finish in Cardenuela before arriving Saturday in Burgos. So many options but let's update nearer the time!