Hornillios - Honatas

24.04.19

After the discussion Malcolm, Alfred (a German we met) and myself had over our evening meal the previous night, I was relieved that Carolin ate breakfast. You see, the day before she hadn't eaten properly - probably causing her dizziness. We had talked about our options if worse came to worse. Would we have to send her on ahead or even home? If she wouldn't have started eating properly, I wouldn't have had a choice. Her health and wellbeing are my number one priority. She would have hated me...thankful it wont come to that!

When we left our albergue this morning it was already raining. After half an hour or so, would you believe it, SNOW. That's right. It's end of April and we got stuck in a blizzard. Ponchos, fleeces, gloves and hats weren't enough to protect us from the ruthless elements we were facing that day. I was swiftly drenched. The icy wind froze my gloves to my hands and my hand to my hiking stick. When I tried to open my hand I couldn't. I couldn't feel them anymore - just numb pain.

Every "snowflake" (more like little daggers) stung my face. I tried cheering everyone up a little by "singing" (if I dare call it that) a song from The Hobbit - The Misty Mountains Cold. It seemed fitting at the time. And it worked, for a little while. Right up to the point where even I couldn't look on the bright side - my shoes were soaked! A Pilgrim's worst nightmare. You can't walk in wet shoes. 

I hope you enjoy this clip of us failing at Pilgrim basics - in our defence it was very windy 

Malcolm went on ahead (there was no way I could keep up - my knee was bad again) in search for the next village. His shoes were drenched too - as were Carolin's. We made the decision to stay in the next albergue we could find, only 10km away from where we started.

It was barely 11am when we stumbled into Honatas. The albergue was still closed so we sat down in the Cafe and treated ourselves to some hot chocolate and a little later, early lunch. Lillian was also here. As were Fred and Gordon (but we wouldn't know that till later that evening) today would be the last time we saw them. I would have given anything for one more beer with my Scotsmen! Buddy (his name is Victor but you know) sat down with us that evening.

We had payed for our Tea when we arrived so I was gobsmacked when the "waiter" demanded we pay. Even after explaining the situation he demanded we give him the money (the other pilgrims were watching this scene unfold and I was getting both embarrassed and angry). I stood up and snapped at him that the receipt was in my Pilgrim's passport and I didn't appreciate him accusing me of lying. This must have left an impression as he finally dropped the subject and left.

In this albergue they expected us to leave our shoes outside. Under normal circumstances I would have gladly followed this rule but, there was no way my shoes would get dry out there. As a room (eight of us) we decided to sneak our shoes in and hide them under the beds in an attempt to get them dried by morning. Thankfully no one seemed to notice.

Burgos - Hornillos

23.04.19

When we left Burgos this morning it was raining - just a bit. Getting out of Burgos was a long and boring walk through the outskirts of the city. When we finally did get out the weather got worse. Rain started pouring from the sky accompanied by an icy wind. 

This morning we had to say goodbye to Florian - we'd never see him again. 

We had barely walked 6km before stopping underneath a bridge to seek shelter when Carolin suddenly said she was feeling dizzy - about to collapse. I put my backpack down instantly and took hers off for her. She leaned against a railing (crash barrier) breathing heavily.

What are we going to do? We still have 16km to go before we reach today's destination!

My knee was slowly getting better (at least that's what ibuprofen led me to believe) but still weak . Malcolm's leg was causing issues as well.
Here it was. I brought Carolin here - now she was struggling to stand. I felt so guilty seeing her struggle. 

I put my backpack back on - and hers. She protested but I insisted (I couldn't let her carry it - she was too weak!). Putting on a brave face I started walking. The weight of two backpacks was too much for my body to bear. I closed my eyes and prayed - "Lord give me the strength I need!".

Luke 1:37  "For nothing is impossible with God"

We passed a little church where they took a life Facebook video of us - sorry about the quality.

My prayer must have been answered  - I carried Carolin's backpack all the way to Hornillos (16km) in the pouring rain and freezing wind.

We had no idea where we would stay, so, when a man asked us if we were looking for beds just after walking into the village we gladly accepted. It was a private albergue with four to a room. As fate (and the Camino) would have it, our friend Lillian was already there - in the same room as us. 

We enjoyed some pot noodles, crisps and the sofas before retiring. A warm shower, a comfy blanket and a quiet room. I couldn't have asked for more!

Belorado - Burgos

22.04.19

Over breakfast it was decided that we would take the bus today - skipping two stages ahead to Burgos. Yes the bus. Sometimes on the Camino you need to put your health in front of your "expectations" of how things are "supposed" to be done. Did I feel guilty about it?
Very much so. But it was the best option to avoid further damage to my knee.

I needed to rest it - heal it.

The street leading to the bus stop had many of these hand and footprints.

When we arrived in Burgos, Carolin and I felt pretty sick from the bus journey. It was still early and we had some time to kill before we could get into an albergue.
We had "second breakfast" with a familiar face - Mike. Mike had been with us in Los Arcos (where his phone was stolen).

We wondered around the city for a while. Admiring the buildings and taking pictures before getting to our albergue.

This albergue. I shall never forget it.

When we handed our passports to the guy there he turned to his co-worker and commented on how we were "lazy" and "oh they took a bus". This made me furious. What gave him the right!?
To make things worse he gave all three of us top bunks as "punishment" for skipping ahead.
This was agony with my knee, the one, you know, I was supposed to be resting.

But Burgos also brought happy moments. We had beds. 
I had an internal struggle. On one hand I was angry at the fact that I was forced onto a top bunk. On the other, I was incredibly grateful for having a place to sleep. 
Be thankful for what you have - each day is a gift.

Florian was here! We hadn't seen him in a long time. Pizza for dinner with good company - Florian and his friend joined us, making Malcolm the only "Non-German" once again.
We ended the evening drinking a couple of beers with Flo - couldn't have asked for anything better.

Florian, myself and Carolin

Redecilla del Camino - Belorado

21.04.19

Easter Sunday.

I don't have much to say about today.

We left Redecilla del Camino this morning with the plan of getting breakfast along the way.
There was just one problem - there were no open Cafes. 

Today was cloudy - all of us miserable in one way or another.

My knee was so swollen moving it was excruciating. I couldn't keep up with Malcolm and Carolin. They walked off ahead at my request (I didn't want to slow them down). The walk was long and boring.

Ironic how I'm the glue that holds this group together while also being the weakest link.

Tony left us earlier in the morning. We met him along the way a couple of times but he would treat himself to a hotel while we stayed in an albergue. He was feeling homesick. I was very sad to see him go.

The food in the albergue wasn't great and neither was the service we received.

To sum it up - not a good day.

Cirueña - Redecilla del Camino

20.04.19

Breakfast this morning was at 7am sharp. Malcolm was only five minutes late and our host had already been ranting - threatening whoever was late would not get breakfast. 

For a change the morning was clear. No rain.
Our path today was endless - easy walking.

Tony walked with us until we lost him underneath a bridge - he had to tend to a blister. We'd meet him in the next village for "second breakfast".  This would be our "go to" solution. If any of us wanted to walk ahead (or fell behind) - we would wait for each other at the next Café. 

I had done a drawing in Pamplona and to my surprise found a very similar one on this building!

Today would be the day. I could feel it. My knee was dodgy all morning - Lord please no. 

As we walked down the slope (pictured below) my left kneecap "popped" out and I fell - onto my left knee of all things! (on the plus side this "popped" it right back into place).

Ouch! 

Tony, Malcolm and Carolin tried to remain calm and collected but I could sense their concern. 

I got up (decided not to check on the damage) and kept walking as well as I could. I knew if I looked at it (it was bleeding) that wouldn't only make walking harder for me, but worry the others as well. 

Out of sight out of mind!

Brave face and carry on. 

When we arrived in Redecilla del Camino we were greeted by an almost empty albergue. Perfect! 

Five euros is all it took for Tony, Malcolm, Carolin, myself and our two Scottish friends (Fred and Gordon) to get a bed. 

The moment of truth. Time to tend to my injury. I rolled up my trousers and cleaned the cuts (probably from landing on sharp stones). The swelling was very obvious - my knee was turning black and blue. 

There was a nice bar right next door. So what did we do? Off for a beer we went. Well deserved! (If I do say so myself). 

Tony, Malcolm, myself and Carolin

The bartender was so amused at us "little girls" ordering "grande" beers he asked if he could take a picture. Sure! 

Yes. I had fallen. Yes. I was in pain. Yes - this would become an issue. 

But right now - I didn't care.

I was also surrounded by the best people on this planet. I had a bed, food and unrivalled company.

Counting one's blessings - where true happiness lies.

Navarrete - Cirueña

19.04.19

You'd think we'd be used to snoring by now - you'd be wrong. Most of us had a very broken night's sleep due to a Spaniard who's snoring could (and probably did) wake the dead. Needless to say he wasn't in my "Good books". Especially after he, believe it or not, shushed us in the morning while we were getting ready. Excuse you? 

*breathe Ellena. Just breathe*

Once again we had a rainy start to the day. To be honest I'd take rain over heat any day (even if we look like Hobbits in our ponchos).

Yes, it was another difficult morning. Mornings would be the most painful part of the day. 

After about 5km we stopped at a café. We looked like a pathetic bunch. I was in tears. 

Nothing a hot chocolate and good company can't fix right? Right.

As I was sitting there, questioning every decision I've ever made in my life, Tony walked in. I couldn't believe it! I thought he was way ahead of us! I felt better instantly. 

He had a rough day the day before. I invited him to sit with us and we talked for a while. 

We walked together for most of the day. We were heading for Azofra in the hope of finding empty beds. No, we hadn't struggled finding one yet. But it was Easter weekend - everything was full.

It was an empty feeling. Being turned away from an albergue. A shelter pilgrims rely on. And why did we get turned away? A group of Spanish scouts had booked everything. This I will never be able to comprehend. 

The next village was 10 km away - too far to walk after what we had done that day already.
What to do? We had no choice but to (I'm not ashamed to say it) take a taxi. Man, cars are a great thing. We were there in no time at all.

It was an interesting little place. The host's private house. It was very "hippy" with his own paintings decorating the walls of every room. The host had crazy curls and a very strict aura about him.

I didn't feel very comfortable here - but I had a bed. Which is more than a lot of ours friends did.

Carolin and I were in a room with another lady. Malcolm and Tony shared a room with a Scotsman - Fred.

All of us sat at one big table for our evening meal (which was delicious) and Fred sang for us. He made us sing "Purple Heather". It was a great atmosphere.

Tony and I enjoying a well deserved rest.

After dinner I sat in Malcolm and Tony's room (it was barely 21:20) talking about our plans for the next day.

Remember how I said the host was strict? Yes well. He came into the room, shushed us, pointed at me and motioned me to go to bed. And me? I did so hastily. I was scared of him! It felt like I'd just been told off by a teacher….we're paying guests buddy! Off to bed it was - looking forward to a quiet night.

A pup that was in front of the albergue instantly stole my heart.

Logroño - Navarrete

18.04.19

We had a "late start" this morning. Breakfast at 7:50 am.
It was a gloomy, rainy day. Resulting in us only walking 13km after our 28km hike the day before.

The walk out of Logroño was a long one. We stopped at a small Caffè for breakfast. Here we met Frank (Malcolm had already met him) who was covering his shoes in duck tape in an attempt to keep them dry. 

Six feet - One Camino

During the walk we passed a fence covered in wooden crosses. Endless. It was a humbling and reflective sight. 

Unbeknownst to most of my Camino friends, my journey did have a religious motive.

I came on the Camino (partially at least) in search of healing. I've been suffering from chronic pains in my joints. Crippling me on my worst days - invisible on my best. Perhaps I was missing something? Maybe God would show me what that something was...

It was comforting to me that the other pilgrims were struggling just as much as I was. Or should I say, that I wasn't struggling more than they were. 

Already getting excited about the number of km we've done!

We chose a smaller albergue in Navarette. The room was painted (almost like a childrens room) with stars on the ceiling. 

Carolin and I had met no Germans (apart from Frank) so far. Suddenly we were surrounded by them!Where had they all come from? Today would be the first day we meet Florian. We wouldn't have much time with him - the time we did have I shall never forget. 

Today was Malcolm's turn to get the beers. We enjoyed some sandwiches before retiring to our beds.

Los Arcos - Logroño

17.04.19

We were awoken this morning to confusion. Jerome said his phone was missing... WHAT? 
Everybody was now awake. 
We've been robbed! 

I sighed with relieve - I wasn't missing anything. Amber however was. A lot of money.
Another friend of ours, Mike, was also missing his phone (which had been right next to his pillow). When the police arrived (or should I say once - they took their sweet time!) they didn't appear to take the situation very seriously. 

It had been someone from outside. Not a pilgrim. 

Honestly we couldn't wait to get out of there! We started our day and started the 28km walk to  Logroño. 

We saw the city hours before we got there. One of the Camino's worst tricks.
Today was the first day we mentioned to Malcolm (who would not leave our side again till we returned home) that we wanted to get tattooed in Santiago. He said he was in - he would later confess he thought we would forget about it (we didn't). 

Our first ever selfie!

And neither did Joey (a pilgrim we met today). He also planned on getting a tattoo. His cheeky smile and energetic nature attracted me to him immediately. Like Malcolm and Tony, he would turn out to be a huge blessing for me. So much so in fact, that I would have probably not made it to Santiago without him!

One of Joey's many amazing Camino photographs

The albergue we stayed in was almost empty. There was no WiFi in the rooms (which bothered us a lot) but the food was amazing! I was shattered after today, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow to the sound of rain, once again.

Estella - Los Arcos

16.04.19

We had a great evening last night! Good food (though not enough) and good wine (more than enough).

As we were leaving we ran into Malcolm. That's what I call good timing! I had wondered were he'd disappeared to. We headed off together, bound for the highlight of today - the fountain of wine. You heard (well technically you read it) me. Free wine for breakfast!

Here each pilgrim is allowed to fill their shell with some Vino Tinto

As we walked we reached a little "bar" in the middle of nowhere and decided to stop for a quick break. And who do we find sitting there? The one and only Tony!

He started telling me how I'm "famous/legendary" on the Camino. People were talking about the fact that I work with metal. Apparently that's all it took for people to take notice of me...not what I had intended!

(just for context - I use a plasma laser to cut art into metal!)

I like Tony a lot. There's something special about him. A gentle giant with a heart of gold.
He left a couple of minutes before we did - he was much faster than us!

I was in a lot of pain by this point and decided to (for the first time on the Camino) put my earphones on and listen to music while walking (me putting music on would become a sign to my companions that I was having a really bad day).

It didn't take very long for me to leave Malcolm and Carolin behind me. I felt guilty for doing so but sometimes, you just have to walk on your own.

 The road was an endless one. Bring me that horizon!

When I got to Los Arcos (a pretty small place) I went to the albergue Carolin and I had discussed heading to. "Amigos del Camino de Santiago". I managed to "reserve" a couple of beds and soon after, Malcolm and Carolin joined me. Karen and Amber where also here. A lot of familiar faces once more.

Malcolm, Carolin and myself got some pizza slices and sat down on the grass just outside our "home for the day" and enjoyed the sunshine. Here we met Jerome from France. He has a smile that just lights up the room. I asked him for this phone number since he had taken a picture of me that morning at the wine fountain.

(here's the picture)

Amber cooked for a lot of us tonight. It was amazing!

There were only two plug sockets (in the middle of the room) and I trusted my gut instinct not charging my phone that night. I hadn't had this feeling before. A feeling of suspicion. Unease. There was no need to have it now...I knew most of these people!

I would learned to trust my gut instinct...

Puente la Reina - Estella

15.04.19

Today was really tough. My leg and shoulder are becoming a problem - pain a constant companion.
I couldn't keep up with Carolin so she walked ahead. It wasn't a great feeling I must admit. Watching her get further and further away. At the same time I was incredibly proud of her - it took a lot of courage for her to do so (for those of you who don't know Carolin in person, she is painfully shy).

Most of my walk to Estella was spent with Heather (we had met her on day one).
I came to find that talking made walking a lot easier. What about? Everything and nothing - what happens on the Camino stays on the Camino.

It's 15:31. We just enjoyed a small meal (bread with olive oil) in the sun. It's windy - a thunderstorm is forecast.

I spent the afternoon and evening writing in my journal and talking with Amber, Karen, Heather and a few others. We went for a meal together (see below) and came up with a name for our union - The Tinto Trekkers.

Karen, Amber, Carolin, Emma and myself.

The thunderstorm was beautiful. I love listening to rain hitting the window, watching the lightning illuminate the sky. It was almost peaceful.

I'm not homesick at all. Not even a little bit. I've never felt more at home than here. On the road. New places and new faces every single day.

The magic of the Camino was starting to take hold of me.

Pamplona - Puente la Reina

14.04.19

Getting up this morning sucked! Excuse my choice in words.
We had planned to "sleep in" till 7am but were awoken by (very inconsiderate) fellow pilgrims at 5am! It was 7:45 by the time we were both ready to go (the fact that there were only 2 toilets and showers played a big part in this).

My left leg and shoulder had become excruciatingly painful. So much so that I couldn't move my arm without causing myself absolute agony and felt like crying with every step. It took us forever to get out of Pamplona to start our climb of the day - the Alto del Perdón. 

It was a beautiful climb. Not difficult at all really. I was very excited to see the statues!
An australian couple asked us to take a picture of them - we did. In return they took one of the two of us, but it is too awful to post anywhere on the internet.

The decline from the mountain was treacherous. It consisted of loose rocks (described by a lot of pilgrims as "ankle breakers") all the way down. There were a couple of times I almost twisted my ankle. This is where my hiking stick became my most valuable possession!

Today we met Tony (he turned out to be one of our biggest blessings on this trip). He offered to buy Carolin and myself an orange juice from a stand run by a couple of local boys. They couldn't have been older than 14. We accepted his offer with great gratitude. We were in desperate need of refreshments.

Tony joined us for the last 2km to Puente la Reina (he planned to walk further), and turned out to be great company. Very likeable and funny.

Once we arrived at our albergue (with its very own beer garden mind you) Tony offered to buy us a beer. Then proceeded to call me cheeky for (perhaps a little too eagerly) accepting his offer once again. You can't offer to buy me a beer and expect me to say no!

No sooner had we sat down, a familiar, tall pilgrim stumbled into the beer garden. I must admit I couldn't quite place where I had met him before until he asked for a bed. In his very distinctive (quiet and adorable) voice. I asked him for his name - Malcolm. He joined us after I offered to buy him a beer (since Tony had just bought me one I thought it was the only right thing to do).

Tony kept walking. Malcolm however joined Carolin and me for an "all you can eat" buffet that night. We ate and talked and laughed. It was a great evening. So much in fact that Malcolm and I exchanged phone numbers so we'd be able to stay in touch. I wouldn't mind spending more time talking with him - not in the slightest.

Zubiri - Pamplona

13.04.19

Today was my favourite route so far. We had beautiful weather and the paths were not as mountainous as they had been. We followed the river. 

There was a little refreshment stand (in the middle of nowhere mind you) where we stopped for a cup of orange juice. The guy in charge of it Dan, stamped our passports for us before wishing us farewell. He was very likeable, genuinely friendly and happy to be there.

As we got closer to Pamplona we could see the city walls from afar. We got a little lost. Couldn't find the yellow arrows (that mark the whole Camino) anywhere. We ended up walking the "long way" into the city (which meant walking up a steep hill). 

As soon as we entered the gates we were greeted by people singing and dancing in the street. It was a welcome change in atmosphere (I would change my mind about that later on)! It was a very lively place. 

We were sleeping in a big albergue that night. By pure chance Amber and Karen ended up bunking next to us. Exciting! Familiar faces. It had only been a couple of days and it already seemed like we knew everybody - if not by name by sight. 

Pamplona was the only time I used my camera. The. Only. Time. Why did I bother bringing it in the first place? Unnecessary extra weight! Note to self - no camera on the next Camino.

For the record - we did have a great time taking very touristy pictures!

Roncesvalles - Zubiri

12.04.19

I didn't sleep very well last night. Hardly at all in fact. The pilgrim who was sleeping in the bunk beneath me (his name is Michael and he's from Germany) snored like nothing I'd ever heard before. He wasn't the only one. The room was practically vibrating! 

When I "woke up"  (if you want to call it that) it was to music playing. For a split second I thought it was a random man, singing in the shower! I believe that I, (being completely exhausted) actually said that out loud. Way to go make everyone think you're a freak before breakfast! 

Surprisingly I wasn't in any pain (apart from my still very sore throat). How was that even possible?

The path to Zubiri was a beautiful one. That's about as much as I remember. I couldn't tell you what was so gorgeous about it. Only that I loved it a lot. Most of the day Carolin and I walked on our own. Greeting the other pilgrims as we (or they) passed with "Buen Camino". 

At one point however, closer to Zubiri, we accidentally ended up join a group of people. We learned an important lesson that day - walking in a group can be easier. 

Once we got to Zubiri and decided to stay (our friends keep walking) we found a small albergue just across the bridge. Here we met Amber and Karen (we would be spending quite a bit of time with them). I instantly liked them. We had met them earlier that day on top of a mountain ,enjoying a well deserved break. 

The four of us decided to go for a glass of wine (Carolin and I also needed food) and then spent the afternoon and early evening resting. Carolin was in the bunk above me. She did a lot of drawing that evening.

One of Carolin's many drawings from the Camino

My left knee and leg had began to ache and I struggled to move it. Getting in and out of my clothes to shower was extremely painful as I couldn't bend my knee without a shooting pain crippling me. It was so painful, every excruciating movement made me scream (internally of course). As I was lying in my bunk that night I prayed for mercy. The Camino - I'd fought so hard to get here and now...now I was going to lose it? 

No. That's not going to be my story.