All the year long on the Camino Francés – Seasons of the Way

Posted on , updated on by My Camino Bed

Spain…  land of eternal sunshine. Maybe in the tourist literature or some memory of a long ago holiday. But in truth, the climate of the Camino Francés will exhibit all four seasons of weather, from the heavy snows which smothered Burgos, driving rains and muddy trails come springtime in Navarra, the parched lands near Hornillos del Camino in the blazing August sun or the glory of a Galician autumn when the rains hold off for weeks and the countryside is bathed in golden sunshine. Hard to say that one is preferable to the other. The wildflowers and luminescent green fields of northern Spain are so beautiful from the spring rains. The less busy pathways and the long drawn out evenings of a Spanish summer are the reward after the heat of a summer’s camino.  Winter is the reflective season and will always be a more solitary affair, with many lodgings closed, awaiting to reopen and greet all the new pilgrims after Semana Santa. (end of March 2018) Future posts will take a look at how the seasons reveal themselves along the Camino Francés throughout the year. Whatever the weather brings, it is always a good day to wish your fellow pilgrim “buen camino”.

 

When you really want a good night’s rest and a bunk bed just won’t do…

Posted on , updated on by My Camino Bed

Azofra Real Casona de las AmasMost pilgrims will spend at least several nights in the company of their fellow walkers in a local albergue. These places form the backbone of the Camino experience. Some are very rustic (the albergue at Manjarín), delightfully eccentric (Albergue parroquial San Juan Bautista in Grañon), religious (Albergue del Monasterio de Samos) or beautifully restored in an historic building (Albergue de peregrinos in Roncesvalles). For many, it is the essence of their Camino. As the popularity of the route blossomed, alternatives to a night in the dormitory appeared. Now, in addition to  an albergue stay, the modern pilgrim can enjoy a night in a less communal space. Private rooms, hot showers with clean sheets and towels help ease the stress of a long day on the road.

Future posts will take a look at those special accommodations offered to a weary traveller along the Camino Francés. From boutique hotels and inns to restored palaces, we will look at distinctive lodgings where the pilgrim can take a moment to rest a tired body, awake refreshed and begin the way forward again.

Pictured above – The Hotel Boutique Real Casona de las Amas in Azofra, La Rioja.

The little yellow arrow and finding your way along the Camino de Santiago

Posted on , updated on by My Camino Bed

Three yellow arrow markers on the Camino de Santiago outside of Tardajos.

Like Hansel and Gretel following a trail of pebbles out of the woods to find their way back home, the Camino walker seeks signs to point the way forward. Over the length of the Camino Francés, the ever-present yellow arrow shepherds the pilgrim onwards. This special marker is a recent invention (1984), the initiative of a Galician priest from O Cebreiro who dedicated a lifetime to preserving and raising the ancient camino’s profile. It’s yellow on blue signage is now the official symbol of the Camino Francés and its designation as a European Cultural Itinerary.

Other civic groups wanted to celebrate the camino’s passing as well. This was an opportunity to promote and reflect their own unique identity as members in an historic pilgrimage. In future posts, we will take a look at how those towns, villages and cities found a way to guide the Camino pilgrim on their journey.Waymarker Camino de Santiago in Santiago de Compostela

Eating your way through the Camino de Santiago

Posted on by My Camino Bed

Spanish menu from Melide on the Camino de SantiagoSpanish menu from Melide on the Camino de SantiagoSpanish menu from Melide on the Camino de Santiago.

Olive oil, salt, meat, fried potatoes (in many forms) and bread are the five basic essentials of the Camino kitchen. Breakfasts are simple affairs. Many easily carried sandwiches are available. But, when the pilgrim sits down at a table to eat, there can be a startling sameness to the restaurant menu. A quick glance at the menus in the photos tells the would be pilgrim everything they need to know about style of meals that lay ahead. The plain and solid cooking of the Camino may lack sophistication, but will leave the hungry walker well satisfied at day’s end and ready for tomorrow’s trek.

Spain abounds in regional specialities and is renowned for its innovative approach to modern cuisine. The adventurous eater will discover many opportunities to sample new and delicious food. In future posts, we will take a look at pintxos in Navarra and the Basque country. How are they different from the tapas offered in Castile-León? Octopus in Galicia. And the many styles of preparing meat for the oven, grill and “plancha”. When the meal arrives at the table, remember to wish them “buen provecho!”

 

 

 

Celebrating the pilgrim’s passage – Monuments and statuary along the Camino de Santiago

Posted on by My Camino Bed

Pilgrim scallop shell fountain in Galicia on the Camino de SantiagoMan has always needed to celebrate and commemorate important people and events. The pilgrim’s passage on the Camino de Santiago is no different. Along the 800 km. route, cities, towns and villages as well as individuals have erected or placed statues, memorials and monuments to the arduous trek made so many people. These posts will acknowledge their presence and the impact played by the Camino as it wound its way across the Spanish countryside.

A small pilgrim scallop designed as a water fountain spout along the Camino de Santiago in the Galician countryside.

 

 

 

Bridges of the Camino de Santiago

Posted on , updated on by My Camino Bed

Roman bridge onthe Camino de Santiago at Molinaseca El Bierzo

As the Camino Francés winds its way through northern Spain, much of the landscape can appear sunny, hot and dry. In reality, Spain is a land of many rivers. Over the centuries, many bridges were built to span the water. It is said that water signifies your emotions in the dream state. Through the course of your camino, there will be many bridges to cross in both a literal and figurative sense. Take a moment as you pass over these structures to reflect on the countless feet that have trod safely across the water with the help of that bridge. This will be the first in a series of posts about the bridges to be found along the Camino Francés.

No Vino No Camino!

Posted on , updated on by My Camino Bed

Spanish Red wine Spanish white wine Spanish rosadoThere will never be a shortage of wine along the Camino de Santiago. The route passes through some of Spain’s most iconic hillsides of the vine.  In many cases, the cost of drinking the local “vino” will be less than purchasing a 500 ml. bottle of water. Many a pilgrim menu dinner will find a bottle of the local wine placed at the centre of the table. The pilgrim family that you make on your journey will often be formed around glasses of wine, discussing the the walk at day’s end. This is a little primer on the types of wines you will drink in Spain as well as the various regions you will cross on your way to Santiago de Compostela.

A little Spanish lesson..

  • A glass of wine is a “copa”
  • A bottle is “botella”
  • white wine is “vino blanco”
  • pink wine is “vino rosado”
  • red wine is tricky because the Spanish call red wine “tinto”, not “rojo” as the colour red would suggest, so… red wine is “vino tinto”
  • To order a glass of red wine, say simply “una copa de vino tinto”

Next – Pamplona and the wines of Navarra.