We walked through lanes lined with ancient sweet chestnut trees.
In a small village square stands an old one. A sign tells us its age is more than 800 years. What a history that tree has been through.
We passed through small villages with old houses and tiny churches. Farmland with cows with magnificent horns.
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Buen Camino !
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A quick breakfast early in the morning, desayuno. Sometimes a buffet, sometimes coffee and a large slice of cake. And then we’re off, following the yellow arrows. Still cold. The sun just above the horizon. A raking light. An orange glow. Fairytale-like. Low-hanging mist in the valley.
How lucky we are!
Every morning is a celebration.
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We met a lot of people from South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Most of them are young.
I am always amazed how well-known this Camino is worldwide.
We met a South Korean woman and shared a meal at Elly’s World Kitchen. South Korean noodle soup. She wrote “Nice to meet you” in her language in my diary, Likewise for us. Buen Camino.
People suffer from blisters or worse. The Camino isn’t always easy.
Along the way, there’s a huge statue of a pilgrim whose feet are covered with plasters.
I hope he will be better soon.
At the highest point of the route stands the iron cross – Cruz de Ferro. (1504m) It’s an icon.
One of the reasons to walk the Camino is to honor a deceased loved one. It’s customary to bring a small stone from home and leave it at the cross as a farewell. Doing so, you leave a burden behind.
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Back in Burgos, we walked through the imposing gate into the old town. And there was the cathedral. This time we also wanted to see the interior. It’s impressive. The cathedral’s foundation stone was laid in 1221 by the King of Castile. The cathedral is full of chapels, with beautiful details. Here are some impressions of it.
Burgos is a milestone for many pilgrims on the Camino. The statue of Santiago in the church demonstrates the centuries-old history of the Camino.
Feeling nostalgic, we ate again at the pizzeria where we’d said goodbye in 2022, with some people we’d met on our trip.
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After our walk on the Chemin de Piemont to Lourdes, we traveled from there by train to the coast, to St. Jean de Luz. Via Hendaye we walked to Irun, to Spain. That is the start of the Camino del Norte.
This is a well known Camino and there are more hikers.
It was nice to see the ocean, although the route sometimes goes more inland.
The Pyrenees are close by and this is noticeable in the height differences.
This is Basque Country and the names of the towns are difficult to remember; such as Etxebarria or Markina Xemein.
We passed the bays of San Sebastian.
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The GR65 goes through rural areas, but also passes beautiful villages and historic towns, usually located on the river and with a castle as defense.
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Abbatiale Sainte-Foy de Conques
Conques has been frequented by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela since the 12th century. The large abbey church of Sainte Foy has an impressive tympanum depicting The Last Judgment. Conques is historically an important place on the road to Santiago de Compostela
We we were staying with many others in the Benedictine monastery of Conques, behind the Abbey. A meal was also served there in the evening.
We walked back into the mountains the next morning, on our way to Moissac.
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The Via Podiensis or the GR65 is a popular route, running from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint Jean Pied de Port. The part up to Conques is especially popular. The path is well marked. And there are all kinds of facilities along the way. There are rest areas with water taps and even toilets. So that the environment remains clean. Sometimes you find a food-truck in the middle of nowhere, where you can order a delicious lunch.
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We walked a part of the GR65, the ‘Grande Randonnée 65’ also called the Via Podiensis. A walk in the Midi-Pyrénées. We walked from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques and on to Moissac.
We slept for the first time in ‘Gîtes d’Etapes’. An exciting prospect. It became a wonderful part of the journey. The Gîtes d’Etapes where we stayed overnight are ‘inns’ along the route, where you can sleep if you have a ‘credencial’; the stamp card, in which you can get a stamp in every gîte or cathedral. So this gîtes are really intended for hikers. In the morning around 9 o’clock you have to be on your way again on the next stage.
The route is known and loved by many French people. There are not many foreigners on the road. Yes, we met some people from Quebec, who are also French speaking. This means that French is the language.
The months before we went to France we tried to brush up on our French with the help of Duo-Lingo. That helped, but the best French course is practice. Not always easy, but we found the people in the gîtes to be very nice and helpful. We felt completely accepted.
Most people sleep in a dormitory; a room with several beds. But most gites also have smaller rooms. The guests eat dinner together. The food is usually very good and more than enough.
We met some hikers again later, in other gites, or along the way. Everyone is doing the same thing; walking. People are very open to each other.
Twenty nights in different gites, each with its own atmosphere, but we have good memories of all of them.
We walked from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saugues, les Faux, Aumont-Aubrac, Finieyrols, St.Chely, Espalion, Estaign, Sénerges, Conques, Livinhac, Figeac, Béduer, Cajarc, Limogne-en-Quercy, Mas de Vers, Cahors, Lascabanes, Lauzerte, Dufort la Capalette, Moissac.
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“if we were meant to stay in one place, we ‘d have roots instead of feet”
Walking the Camino del Norte is walking along the ocean, along the Bay of Biscay, or in Spanish the Golfo de Vizcaya. The vastness, the infinity of the ocean, and the light attract us. The coast on the north side of Spain is rugged with cliffs and coves. The influence of the water on the stone of the rocks, over the centuries, is visible everywhere. The ocean is deep (4 km) and is the habitat of dolphins, sharks and whales.
Asturia and Galicia are green and that is because of the north-westerly wind that brings rain from across the ocean. A raincoat or poncho are therefore no luxury.
The coast is so different from the dune coast of the Netherlands. It’s not like you walk in straight lines. There are rifts and deep coves that you have to go around or sometimes have to cross with a small ferry. Sometimes you walk on the beach, then higher over a cliff. The fishing villages, with their ports, are located around bays.
The Camino del Norte starts in Irun. We started in Bilbao. And walked to:
Castro-Urdiales, Laredo, Güemes, Santander, Santilliana del Mar, Comillas, San Vincente de la Barquera, Colombres, Llanes, Nueva, Ribadesella, Colunga, Villaviciosa, Gijon, Aviles, Muros de Nalon, Cadavedo, Luarca, Vilapedre, la Caridad, Ribadeo.
From Ribadeo we walked south-west to Santiago de Compostella.
In Ribadeo we said goodbye to the ocean. From there we walked south-west into Galicia. We past Lourenza, Gontan-Abadin, Vilalba, Baarmonde, Parga, Sabrado dos Monxes, Arzua and
O Pedroso to Santiago de Compostella.
In Galicia you see the horreos everywhere, the storage sheds on stilts. They are used for storing corn, among other things. The flat stones are protecting the crop against vermin.
The lichens on the many stones along the path are beautiful.
The Camino del Norte is also a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. This route is different from the popular camino Francès; there are fewer churches or chapels. And those that are there are usually closed. I have not discovered the pilgrim stories from the Middle Ages here. It’s much quieter. But even if you walk alone for hours, you will see the signs of other walkers along the way.
It was quiet, but we were certainly not the only hikers. The route has sections and so we meet other hikers in the towns at the end of a distance. Sometimes we didn’t see them for a few days, and then unexpectedly we run into each other again. Other pilgrims are very easy to approach, because everybody is doing the same thing. There is a sense of kinship or togetherness. You drink a glass of wine together, or sit at the same table for the Menu del Dia. But you also let go and say goodby.
This is a double crucifix, somewhere near a chapel in the middle of the forest. It is a typical Galician image. It shows the crucified Jesus, but the other side has room for Mary.
The architect who built Santiago Cathedral also built this one in Lorenzo.
The sun did not always shine in Galicia either.
The last two stretches to Santiago, the route runs together with the Camino Francès. It is therefore noticeably busier.
And then there was Santiago!
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