2022 another look Pamplona - Logrono - Burgos

To get a flavour of the camino is like dipping a toe in a mud bath. Your toe will get the flavour, but better your toe than nothing at all!

You need time on the camino to savour the wines and the expeience, to suffer the smells and sounds of the Albegues before going off piste to a hotel!

That said, not everyone has the time and a little is better than nothing at all. Here's a version with 60km of walking, 30 litres of beer and 10kgs of tapas!

Most accessible from Edinburgh are Bilbao and Santander. Bilbao is best for Pamplona.

Flying out 7am on sunday morning you arrive Bilbao at 10:35, head to cafe iruna, via Guggenheim and old town for early lunch before bus down to Pamplona. Walking in Bilbao is largely a flat 3km. 

Arrive Pamplona 5pm and walk around city walls and tapas bars for 3 hours then get taxi 3 minutes to hotel. Hotel is close to bus station. 7:30 bus (or taxi) to cizur mayor for coffee and then walk up to Mont Perdon (3 hours - with one stop for beer at Zariquiegui near summit. Stop at summit for beer then walk down to Uterga for beer, then Muruzabal, then Obanos before arriving at the Jakue in Puente La Reina for monday night.

I say the Jakue but the other plan, is we get to Puente La Reina (3.15-3.25), or even Obanos and get the 3.10-3.20 bus to Estella. The walk to Estella is another tremendous stroll particularly the route from Maneru to Cirauqui, as you slowly walk towards the roof top town, but if time is of the essence then the smart money gets you to Estella for the night, ideally the Hospederia Chapitel, which is ideally located in the centre and whose rustic charms will doubtless appeal to those pilgrims wanting luxury with quaint echoes of bygone pilgrims, without their comforts!

In the morning of Tuesday, the first stop out is the wine fountain at 9am, followed by the glorious climb via Ayegui  and Bodegas Irache to Azqueta where an early beer is followed by an 11am bus to Los Arcos. 

Ideally we'd climb to Villamayor de Montjardin, sit down, survey the valley, beer in hand, before slipping and sliding our 12km way to Los Arcos, shooting the breeze and feeling the crumbs under our boots, but we're on a fact finding mission!

With 8km in our legs and a hearty rest at Los Arcos after our arduous 9 minutes on the bus, we'll pile into the wee square by the church and have a beer. The next walk is only 6k, or a game of football, 90 minutes. It always makes me smile when I arrive after only 75 minutes, but that's because I used to always get subbed and a game of football for me was 75 minutes!

Having left Los Arcos at 12 we arrive at Sansol at 13:20 and have lunch at the albergue, before getting on the bus again to Logrono.

There's a great walk from Torres del Rio (1km across the gorge from Sansol) to Viana but that's not got any pub stops, unless the guy with the camper van station is open, a very risky gamble to take in the afternoon!

Tuesday night in Logrono means we wake up on Wednesday and dust ourselves down for the trip back up to Bilbao, then we realise the flight is not until 9pm so we take the bus to Belorado and do one of the great September Sunflower strolls to Villafranca Montes des Oca via Tosantos, Villambistia, and Espinosa del Camino. 

This section is so accessible you could take a 90 year old or a 1 year old on it!

This is a very short stretch which hugs the highway but offers easy walking and numerous pit stops for bowels that may need them after 2 heavy days! An early bus will see us in Burgos for 2pm for lunch and then a train at 5pm back to Bilbao, or a bus to Santander for the 22:30 flight back, both work well.

2022 the walk takes shape

 Clearly 2021 will see Jimmy and John, pick up where they left off in Azofra. Walking will take them to Santo Domingo, then Belorado, Montes de Oca, Atapuerca, Cardenuela and then Burgos.

Depending on time, 2022 will see Burgos to Hornillos, involving stops at the edge of Burgos, Tosantos, Rabe de las Calzada before the 8km step to Hornillos del Camino.

The next day will see us stroll to Hontanas (10km), stopping for a drink a San Bol. After Hontanas we have 10km to Castrojeriz, stopping after 7km at the ruins, never miss a chance to have a beer!

Next up is a stroll, up over the hill to Itero de la vega. Its about 8km and thereafter we head 6km to our next drinking stop before we head off to walk the canal to Fromsita, home of the railway station.

The next walk takes us to a few stops on our way to Carion des los Condes. The Hotel Zorio at the end of town is superb, apologies for the spelling.

From Carion, we may walk the big steps, or take the bus across to then walk from Religeous to Sahagun.

Montrose golf outing 2019 memories of holes in one

I like a good hole in one and I never got one today but I was reminded of a few from the past, my first being at Prestonfield Golf Club in Edinburgh when I was 15, a lucky bounce off the right hand slope of the bunker saw my ball drop in the hole. It was my last lucky one!

My 2nd came 30 years later when playing with Arnaldo. It followed a Sunday night of bravado as I told him how much I loved the braids and how I'd hit a 5 iron round the belly at the 9th, a 40 yard hook which would bounce on the apron and roll up the green. I told him I'd break 80 even though I hadnt played it for 15 years and only carried irons. Oh how we laughed 24 hours later as we got to the 9th and I called the shot and yet we couldn't find the ball. Hunting through the back eventually we conceded it was all over the flag and yes, its in the hole. Out in 35 and there goes any ambition to break 80, lets get to the bar.

The third was on Arran, the third at Lamlash, a 9 iron to the top corner, straight as a Jocky Wilson arrow. Thats got a chance I said and I never looked over the back I just walked confidently to the hole.

Two weeks later and we're still in Ayrshire and playing LSEGS v SSEGS, a bitter England v Scotland contest where beneath the merriment is feisty fare. We were on Glasgow Gailes and about the 14th a par 3 with a huge green on the left and a mound to carry if you wanted to attack the pin. In Foursomes your partners head up to the green in optimistic fashion and that was the case the day as big Sean (LSEGS) and my partner headed up while Mike (LSEGS aka Freddie Couples) and I waited on the tee for the green to clear. I joked with Freddie that this required my round the belly shot where I keep the hands square. If I roll the hands its an ugly drawing hook into the fat of the green but if I pure it, the mound gets carried. "Oh, I've pured that, how fucking good is that strike". Up at the green, all 6' 7" of big Sean is waving his 7' wingspan as the ball trundles toward the hole hidden from us. Next thing, the cheers ring out and big Mike and I are belly bouncing on the tee. "You've got this for the half Mike!". Mike is sadly no longer with us but his memory will always live on long in my mind. 

Next up was the best called hole in one of the lot. I've only had the 5 but this one was special as I described in my fantasy world how I was going to beat the club champion in the forthcoming 1st round. As we walked off the 8th, I told Ricky I had a plan. My great gift is to appear to be lucky and so I was going to exploit that by getting a hole in one at the 2nd. Ricky laughed at the thoughts that would go through Arran's head! "You see, I've got this shot I'm saving, a 6 iron, down the shaft, soft fade, about 5 feet left of the stick. The pin is always about 8 yards from the back right on the top deck, and with the slope, it should be perfect. In fact much like today, as I stepped onto the medal tee at the 9th. Down the shaft soft fade, exactly, in fact that's the shot I'll be playing, no slow up, no dont go in oh FUCK!! Nightmare, whats the chance of me doing this again in 5 days time.

5 days later I played Arran and told him how my plan had come unstuck. I'd rehearsed it in my head but with the hole in one only 5 days old, far from riding the wave I just couldn't convince myself, Arran on the other hand, hit the pin (with his 2nd shot) and it dropped dead to win the hole with a 3. Who knew I could just get a birdie and win it!

I've holed number of shots with wedges, 5,6,7,8 and 9 irons and for a while I had a 100 yard club that seemed to land a foot from the hole. My favourites have usually been in matches when I've called them. Playing with JJ against Gav & Stevie in the final of the winter greensomes, we needed to hole a 7 iron for a two at the 8th because the guys were probably going to get a 3 net 2, based on what they'd done to us at the 6th. As I called it (another 9 second diatribe as the ball headed towards the hole, "oh that was really well struck, and its holding its line, it needs to stay a foot to the left as it rolls onto the green oh yes thats perfect, oh its in!")

When we were wee we holed 2nd shots all the time in our heads, but it wasn't quite as frequent as that. It was just that we were out all the time so inevitably we hit the odd good one. At Prestonfield I've holed out at the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, and 18th from a decent range. The par 3's I've chipped in but I cant remember a 2 at 12,14 or 17. Some people think its luck but I think there's a range and statistical repetition and likelihood of outcome. If holing a putt from anywhere on the green is skill, at what range does it become luck? There is no range, there is just a lower likelihood. If you dont aim at a flag there is almost no likelihood, but when you aim and you hit it where you mean, the likelihood is relatively quite high.

Montrose golf outing 2019

Economics and water management

So many people talk about the great British disease post war of no stepping up and buying new machinery And yet that's only appropriate where it is appropriate that our times there are times when it's fundamental the most obvious being when your labor costs can only rise and you refuse to make noise but as you walk the Camino across northern Spain you see the manual versions of irrigation and you see the automated versions of irrigation and you realize sometimes you work with what you've got and sometimes it's essential you sort it

Lockdown bike camino

At first this see med like my normal kind of Camino I get up in the morning late I stumble around for 5 minutes in the dark and then eventually I do some exercise

I'm a slow starter so I do 2 minutes then get off the bike and go for breakfast much as I would on the camino I then get back on the bike and do another few minutes and then another few minutes and then I look at the pictures of the countryside that I am walking through.

I'm doing the Camino Francis and today we are passing through Los arcos. Doing the Camino in your living room means that you don't need to pack weather gear. Having your kitchen nearby also means you can reach into the fridge and help yourself to olives while running the tap you never run out of water on this Camino.

After a while you forget you're on an exercise bike and realise your head is hovering over Torres del Rio. Time for a siesta and then reach for a bottle of Estrella or just dive right into the wine.

I've finished all my Navarre wine and it's fitting as we cross into Rioja that I move along the wine rack too!

Burn Camino

Covid 19 update on our September 20th camino

There's a lot of symmetry on the 20th in 2020 as we all get out of beds at 2:20 am to catch the 7am flight, or so I thought, until we learned about 19, no not the day before but Covid-19, of course.

So I'm now casting an eye to easyjet flights to see if Bilbao looks more or less likely in September. The good news is the prices are going up in price so demand is there!

Albergue Santiago Apostol in Puente la Reina

We now think our big holiday of the year will be in 2021 but on the off chance we can get away we will meet everyone off the plane on the 20th as we'll go via Bordeaux, Barcelona or Bayonne. Who knows what will be open and whether the UK's approach will make us more or less welcome.

5 will arrive in Bilbao at 10:30 a.m. local time and after baggage and passports our 11.10 bus will take us into the centre of Bilbao for 11:30 a.m.

Just in time for a coffee at cafe Iruna before the clock ticks onto 12 and a wee beer.

Lunch at 1pm will involve a skewer or two before a stroll down to the river and the old town.

After the old town we head to the station and catch the 15:20 train to Logrono which arrives at 17:51. First Class is 14.75 while standard is 11.50. as the trip is over 2 hours we'll observe the discounted first class rate and travel with a free coffee and extra leg room.

Once in Logrono we will go to the first apartment by bus and train station. This apartment has three bedrooms and has been booked for 5. It could sleep 7 but with just one, albeit luxurious, bathroom we've elected to spread ourselves out.

The price for this one is €110 or €xx per head/bed. The second apartment involved carrying the luggage a bit further but is in the heart of Calle Laurel the ultimate eating and drinking experience in Logrono. As the wine festivities will end about 4am there's no rush to get out early. The second apartment being more central may have more noise but it is perfect for a mid evening collapse! I've only booked this one for 3 so a bedroom each unless a few extra appear over the coming months, not least Stuart.

Haystack on road from Azofra to Cireuna

Bar Seville Azofra

Bar Seville in Azofra with Americans and a Englishman

I've parked many a problem, many a thought on the camino. Bar Seville or even Azofra has seen more adventure than anywhere else on the camino. Simon and I enjoyed the best ever sleep in 2007. Harry and I had the best ever night in 2011 until he fell and bled over the whole of the back stairs, toilets and his bed. In 2013 with Diego and my many camino friends. Stuart and I have stayed 3 times and thats included the annexe and also famously on the floor when they locked our room in April 2019. I stayed in September 2019 and they were still apologising but I love the town.

Diego with lady in Azofra

My favourite woman from Rotterdam and 2 Danes

Najera from the west bank of the river

The fountain is a clue to this camino location!

Descending, before rising to Navarette - I cant remember!

One of the things that I discovered during the pilgrimage was laughter. I hadn't realised that I loved life so much. It's never been anything that I've tired from but the wonder of new situations is joyous.

I am digressing from the story of September 2020.

The stages from Logrono to Burgos are some of the best vistas on the camino. While Jimmy & John will bus or taxi on to Azofra to walk to Santa Domingo we may take an alternative route from those on offer.

Vineyards as you climb out of Logrono

Logrono to the park on the edge of town 5km.

Entrance of park to exit of park 3km

Logrono with lake on way to Navarette

Walk over to Navarette 5km up hill then downhill then up the hill again.






Naverette is a great wee hill top town in the Rioja surrounded by vineyards. It has both hotels, hostal and albergues as well as many bars and restaurants.

The walk there gives lovely views back across Logrono and then ahead to Navarette.

view looking back at Logrono lake

Navarette to Ventosa is a 9km walk through the vineyards, with a 1km stretch alongside the motorway. Ventosa has two place for lunch or mid morning coffee before we leave for the 11km walk to Najera.

Alternatives include taking a taxi/bus to Ventosa and then stroll through the vineyards to Najera.

Walking to Ventosa takes 1hr 30-2hr very gently uphill and the walk to Najera is 2hr 30-3hr, mostly downhill.

Najera has a fast bus to Santo Domingo (24km) or a slow bus to Azofra (8km), Ciruena (11km) both stops on the camino on route to Santo Domingo.

Potato sorting in Santo Domingo

Walking from Ciruena to Santo Domingo

Big Arrows in Santo Domingo de las Calzadas

Leaving San Juan for the twilight easy
walk to Ages (3km) and Atapuerca (6km)

When you leave Bar Seville in Azofra you can walk to Ciruena and stop at the golf club for breakfast or lunch before the rolling hills to Santo Domingo.

One of my favourite walks is the short 2 hours from Ciruena to Santo Domingo de las Calzadas. IF you dont have a lot of energy or capacity to walk, you can feel this section of the camino by doing this short stretch.

Sunflowers as you leave montes de oca and arrive at San Juan

Next up after Santo Domingo is a mixture of walking along the road or in the countryside. The walk to Granon is near the road but enjoyable nonetheless. The next stage to Redecilla del Camino is excellent. Thereafter I'd jump the 11km to Belorado and stay there before walking to Tosantos (5km) Villambistia (3km) Espinosa (1km) Montes de Oca (3km). If you want to carry on to St Juan de Ortega its 12km or a good 3-4 hours. I've done it in 2 hours 30 but its all to do with the temperature as only some of it is shaded.

Last picture of the famous 5 shirt!

Bar on the way down from Cruz de Ferro at El Acebo

Sylvie, Diego and Simone in San Juan de Ortega
The church in San Juan has the sun shine altar to front door during the equinox

Canadiennes Je Pense - Michel-Andre et Bernadette depuis Quebec

Great bar in villafranca montes de oca by
the bus stop but sadly closed in 2018

After San Juan then Ages we get to Atapuerca

Great Hostal Santa Fe in Cardenuela del Rio Pico
superb single rooms and Menu Del Dia

San Juan de Ortega cafe - good menu del dia

A cow on the hill between Atapuerca and Burgos

When deciding whether to go via Castanares or Burgos via the river

The next morning will see the walking begin and a gentle stroll it will be after the bus out to Azofra.

Azofra to Santo Domingo de Las calzadas is a well trodden section largely away from any roads. As it meanders through fields you get lost in the fresh air as you dander, daunder gently along. After two hours you pass a giant haystack. Its there every year and I don't know if they ever move it or just keep it as a glorious evolving sculpture. After the haystack you have a 15 minute gentle hill and then you arrive at the first water stop and 200m later, the golf club in Ciruena.

After coffee, tortilla or whatever you venture through the ghost town reminiscing about where the housing crisis first broke. In 2007 it was pretty quiet and not much has changed. 

After crossing the town there's a wee garden with a water fountain before the play park. Fill your water and prepare yourself for a magical 6km stretch of rolling hill and magnificent vistas of Santo Domingo de la Calzadas.

Once in town you'll follow the Amarillo fleschas, yellow arrows, to the hotel.

Camino memories

I saw my old firm in the paper the other day and my mind drifted back to when they only had£20bn under management, or mismanagement as the case was.

I was asked if I would go down to take charge of the office and the 200 staff in the administration and custody centre.

I jumped at the chance as it had always made me wonder why it didn't work better.

Within two months it was obvious why.

The staff were badly treated wages, career development and the equipment. The staff cost roughly £2 million while the PCs they used were worth about £50.

They never sat exams to further their caterer and no career path had been shown.

New PCs cost £80,000 and an incentive scheme for passing industry exams saw over 100 acquire the diploma.

Finding a fraud put the tin lid on it and suddenly everything was rosy!

Word came back about how the office had been transformed but I really felt sorry for the people who hadn't spotted the glaringly obvious.

Most work is about the basics and not the grandiose. It's like walking the camino, it really is one step after another. It's not about getting to here by 9am and there by 11:45 and our lodgings by 3:25pm. Those things will in all likelihood come to pass, but it is simply about moving forward.

I look back with fond memories of my time in Newcastle, probably the easiest of all the jobs I had.

Morton's nueroma

Many a wanderer has had a sore foot but this diagnosis has left me delighted.

I've had this burning sensation for a fair while now but primarily when I was golfing. After 7 or 8 holes it felt like one of my feet was walking on hot coals while the other Felt fine.

It transpires Morton's neuroma is very common, it's just I've had it for 3 years and never spoken to the right person!

More recently it's been impacting on my Camino walking so delighted it's now diagnosed and on its way to getting better.

The nerve that swells up and gets angry is between my numbish 3rd and 4th toe. A bit of massage and manipulation of it should work but failing that a steroid injection will happen in a few months time.

Those who sit together....

Yes, another take from the Camino.

I got on one of my my long rabbiting stories as we sat having our menu del dia. 

I was explaining how Jackie wanted a new bathroom as she felt one bathroom was not enough.

I replied those who sit together  shit together.

I immediately went out to change my habits.

I decided to stay in bed until Jackie was dressed.

I have my breakfast one hour after Jackie and I now have my tea 2 hours later.

This has saved us doing another bathroom and I also get to read the paper with my tea.

It was no surprise that our problems all stemmed from bowel synchronicity which was a by-product of eating together. We now save a fortune because we don't go out for meals ever. This has freed up so much cash that Jackie now has a week in Rome every year.

Bowel synchronicity who would have thought it could bring such rich treasures.

Oh and yes I waited until we were finished our food. I think it was An innocent remark about how quickly the menu del dia can move through the pilgrim's system!

Sunday September 20th 2020

There's a lot of symmetry on the 20th in 2020 as we all get out of beds at 2:20 am to catch the 7am flight.

We are Ivan Bobo at 10:30 a.m. local time and after baggage and passports our 11.10 bus will take us into the centre of mobile for 11:30 a.m.

Just in time for a coffee at cafe Iruna before the clock ticks onto 12 and a wee beer.

Lunch at 1pm will involve a skewer or two before a stroll down to the river and the old town.

After the old town we head to the station and catch the 15:20 train to Logrono which arrives at 17:51. First Class is 14.75 while standard is 11.50. as the trip is over 2 hours we'll observe the discounted first class rate and travel with a free coffee and extra leg room.

Once in Logrono we will go to the first apartment by bus and train station. This apartment has three bedrooms and has been booked for 5. It could sleep 7 but with just one, albeit luxurious, bathroom we've elected to spread ourselves out. The price for this one is €110 or €22 per head/bed. The second apartment involved carrying the luggage a bit further but is in the heart of Calle Laurel the ultimate eating and drinking experience in Logrono. As the wine festivities will end about 4am there's no rush to get out early. The second apartment being more central may have more noise but it is perfect for a mid evening collapse! I've only booked this one for 3 so a bedroom each unless a few extra appear over the coming months, not least Stuart.

The next morning will see the walking begin and a gentle stroll it will be after the bus out to Azofra.

Azofra to Santo Domingo de Las calzadas is a well trodden section largely away from any roads. As it meanders through fields you get lost in the fresh air as you daunder gently along. After two hours you pass a giant haystack. Its there every year and I don't know if they ever move it or just keep it as a glorious evolving sculpture. After the haystack you have a 15 minute gentle hill and then you arrive at the first water stop and 200m later, the golf club in Ciruena.

After coffee, tortilla or whatever you venture through the ghost town reminiscing about where the housing crisis first broke. In 2007 it was pretty quiet and not much has changed. 

After crossing the town there's a wee garden with a water fountain before the play park. Fill your water and prepare yourself for a magical 6km stretch of rolling hill and magnificent vistas of Santo Domingo de la Calzadas.

Once in town you'll follow the Amarillo fleschas, yellow arrows, to the hotel.

Price theory in 2020

How many people know that price theory is supposed to be a nice pure way financial markets to arrive at the right price. T he laws of supply and demand have never been more tested.

At one end of the extreme is the minimal food miles associated with farmers markets and local crafts while at the other end of the extreme is Amazon and the fulfillment houses where prices can be regularly 500% of the normal RRP.

There are as ever reasons for these disparaties and as economic modellers scramble to put the green effect into local produce and the lazy internet/ease of purchase into the latter, finding a homogeneous rule for all is clearly turning this distribution into a tri-hump camel.

Leaving markets alone to evolve as a pricing mechanism has for a while been under pressure. 

Arbitration in the markets is a key aspect of Capitalism. The more Arbitragers, the purer the market and price transparency, so the theory goes. In 2020 we see entrepreneurs by the bucket load take the opportunity to trade goods using the eBay, Amazon, etc marketing and fulfillment infrastructure.

I've long talked about Capitalism being Marketingism. The irony is it's not been rebranded. 

During the 50's cars lasted for ever and had no reason to be replaced. During the  70's, it was plastics boom time and with it the highly disposable age began. The make do and mend generation were slowly being replaced by the rebranded Willy Lomans in another piece of iconic irony, the 70's were the birth of the salesmen.

Since then every board room talks marketing with prospective numbers, and very few talked quality. Style over substance and everything could be explained away if you had a good narrative, oh and an audience with the IQ of a fencepost.

The growth of financial markets and arbitrage is well documented. Liberals in the financial markets during the 1980's started the process and in the UK we had the mass sell off. Just as China saw the melting of the wok's we saw the sale of Council houses, waters, electricity, telecoms, aerospace, railways, you name it. The bumper crop of cash that came in from these sales along with all the north sea oil revenues would've made you think the 1980's were a boom time, yet not for everyone, in fact not for many at all. This came at a time when University fees were charged to students and grants became a thing of the past. BUPA and other private medical providers appeared throughout the land. 

So by 1990 there was a huge war chest? Alas no. 

If you're Norwegian you must laugh. They had similar north sea oil reserves and they have a huge pot of cash even now.

As the 1990 rolled towards 2000 there was a gentle stroll towards the internet and all the benefits we'd get. What we hadn't bargained on was how controlled we'd be by a mobile phone. 

Within months of the new millennium the benefits could be seen on and with social media. A new opiate for the masses. 

The markets kept there head down with Arbitrage getting sidetracked by more sophisticated leveraging, often confused with pyramid selling. Leveraging is even more advanced.

See the Big Short if you need a wee reminder for the 21st century examples of how leveraging is so effective, for a time. The beauty of leveraging is you only need it to work for a short period while you get your cash out and the audit trail is spread amongst everyone. 

The gambling industry was targeted by many Arbitragers taking advantage of price discrepancies and they're actively chased out of the market, as the bookmakers fully recognise that arbitrage is not good for they're markets. The point of most suppliers is that they don't want a pure market and clearly while economic theory has evolved those applying the laws have not kept up. They don't need to as they have other fish to fry. Recent examples include the hysterical MEP who questioned a professor of Economics over her experience.

He clearly demonstrated his own inimitable style over substance.

So back to global companies and fulfillment where do we go from here.

What price is a pack of 3 Cadbury cream eggs or Dean's shortbread?

If you're on Amazon probably £5 - ,£6 and if you're in poundies £1.

Clearly if you're any kind of retailer you should be able to lower the price on Amazon but against that background do you really want that marketplace to develop.

Free delivery for prime customers mean the lazy lunch in the office instead of going to buy the biscuits will save time and for small purchased who cares as "time is money" and delivery is free.

This discussion will roll on but I for one will continue to walk the Camino having mad thoughts and buy local!