One week…

It’s been ‘One Week’ on the Camino de Santiago: Day 7 From Belorado to Tardajos, over the ‘Montes de Orca’ and into the big city of Burgos.

The morning ride from Belarado was a real ‘pea-souper’, the cloud was down and it didn’t clear until after the big climb up the ‘Montes de Orca’ from Villafranca. 

After a much needed breakfast stop at San Juan de Ortega I headed down into Burgos City. Entering into the arse end of it through the industrial area, past the laminate floor factory, belching out smoke!…

St.James would have been disappointed I fear!

In the heart of the city I met Mr Waffle Cone 

and enjoyed good tour around the beautiful and impressive cathedral area before heading out to find some digs for the benevolent before the storm struck.

I passed a nice looking bar but was too afraid to enter…

I always wanted to learn all the crazy lyrics to today’s track but never managed beyond “Chickity China, the Chinese chicken, 

You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin”….

top song from those crazy ‘Barenaked Ladies’…enjoy it again here.

Reward

Day 6 From Navarrete to Belorado. 41miles/70km

First totally dry day on the Camino firstly on paths through the vineyards of Nejera and then up and down hills to Santo Domingo de la Calzada for a ‘Menu del Dia’ lunch by the cathedral.

The inclusion of wine made the afternoon a bit slower but after 41miles I’d arrived at Belorado where €19 buys me a bed for the night and a swim as a ‘reward’ in preference to the dodgy sounding one I passed earlier in the day…see ⬇️ 

You would have to be brave to sleep here…

‘Reward’ by The Teardrop Explodes from 1981 is today’s blog track with a nice bit o’brass and a bangin’ tune to boot.

Drink the Elixir…

Day5 - Villatuerta to Navarrete (70km).

Another great Albergue, Etxeurdina, run by a great bloke and biker , Jordi. Absolutely can’t fault them so far. Headed out around 8 and got to Irache around 9. 

Today I’m in Rioja country and will pass through its capital Legrono.

Wine at 9?

Here is the wine fountain ‘Fuente del Vino’ linked to the bodega where pilgrims can get free wine from a tap. As Tom Gilbey would put it “let’s have a snort of the Rioja..bugger me, this tastes like shite”…https://youtu.be/cTMIdKfkNsQ?is=NfsoIqram9AH91rP 

I’d pair it with a sink plug and move on! 

It’s young wine and bloody rubbish.

No wonder they have been nicking the jugs and not the wine…(see photo)…c’mon, keep up!

Big day on the Brommie, and when the heavens opened again and I got to the muddy singletrack downhills, I dropped the seat to compensate for the load up front, hung my bony arse over the back, and with a belly full of early morning Rioja, went for it! 

Great hairy fun on 16” wheels!

After the ride was over I did enjoy, of course, a much better glass of Rioja, thanks to a kindly benefactor (you know who u r Beccapedia)…well, when in Rome!

70 odd km completed today and all going well.

Today’s blog track from a great lesser known indie band, Salad with this 90’s favourite about Rioja ( or good red wine in general to be honest).

Thunder in th’mountains…

Casa Ibarrola

Day 4 - Pamplona to Villatuerta (40km)

I left the Albergue with the Brommie and used Velo2 to follow all the cycle ways out of Pamplona, through the citadel and towards an ominous looking sky.

Diverting from the main Camino route at Cizur Menor towards Zizur Mayor until linking up with it again at Uterga for breakfast by 10:20 at Gastrobar Camino del Perdon.

The town of Puente La Reiner-Gares was next and then I could see the dark skies ahead over Cirauqui on the hill. 

With only about 5km to go I had to take shelter and wait for some abatement in a quaint abandoned petrol station as the thunder, lightning and rain hit…a perfect lunch stop. 

Lunch stop

Getting soaked I made it to tiny Villatuerta and my overnight stop at Albergue Etxeurdina just in time for the sun to come out for the afternoon😎.

Villatuerta

 

A Spanish bull

Toyah with her mad orange barnet from 1981 , lisping on about t’weather in her th’exy way!

Bicycle race…

Day 3 - Return walk to Pamplona.

After leaving another incredible hostel in Larrasoana it was time to head the 10 miles or so back to Pamplona on small green paths by the swollen river Agra from yesterday’s downpour before the rain was forecast again today.

Pamplona, obviously famous for the bulls, but not until July, is also the home of a famous cyclist, Spaniard ‘Big Mig’. I grew up watching Miguel Indurain win the tour 5 times in a row, legitimately, he was incredible and unstoppable. 1991-5. He’s only a year older than me so I should nip round and challenge him to a race on the Brompton when I’ve got it out of the box back at the Pamplona pods.

Today’s blog track is a big hit from Queen from back in the day when you could ride yer pushrod in the nuddy …some nice belles in the video!

 

Dog days are over…

Day 2 - From Burguete to Larrasoana.

Burguete was a lovely village, very French but I was now back in Spain. I got my first ‘Peregrinos’ passport stamp and set off after a coffee in the local bar. Through the woods today, deep into the Basque Country, the old stronghold of ETA. I thought they had dissolved but then a couple of separatists came menacingly past me on horseback.

 

I entered Zubiri over the ‘Puente de la Rabia’ or ‘Rabies Bridge’ and ate a nice lunch after soaking my  aching trotters in the clear water…no dogs about tho?

The last hour the thunder and rain came, quickly turning the small, narrow paths into tiny river torrents so I had to spend the final few kilometres walking along straddling the path looking like, to all and sundry, that I had shit ma pants…

PS. I hadn’t BTW.

Florence + the machine here with her 2009 hit about rabies….enjoy!

Complete(o) Control…

Day 1 - From Saint Jean Pied de Port to Burguete.

Day 1 of the Camino de Santiago was thwarted from the start…

‘Completo’ said the Alsa app when I tried to find a place on the only bus over the hill to France!

“Completo” said the woman at the Alsa kiosk when it opened at Pamplona bus station.

Then I heard an Irish voice wanting to get to Roncevalles and he was told the same.

“It’s public holiday’ said the cabbie, so we split the taxi fare and headed speedily together to his destination, Roncevalles. It would leave me only 20km short from my start, I’d work something out!

Moore was retired and a proud Proddy from Carrickfergus and had been out walking for a week and was heading back for his parked up Mercedes Sprinter camper van. 

The top man then offered me a lift directly to where I needed to get to in St.Jean Pied de Port on the French border to start my Camino.

The bemused woman at the Pilgrims passport office sorted me out with the appropriate paperwork and I was off over the hills before lunchtime.

Strava told me it was 17mile with 4675ft of elevation when I’d finished but my old hairy sticks thought it had been a lot longer!

It was made a bit longer than anticipated as the 180 bed monastery in Roncevalles was also “Completo” when I arrived so I ended up in a nice private room in Burguete. Not sure if I’m in France or Spain now??

I was always in ‘Complete Control’ according to The Clash, not sure I’m up for a pogo to it tonight tho!