Pilgrimage on the Camino Santiago de Compostella - Via Podensis & Camino Frances
In and around Europe
In the middle ages, Santiago de Compostella in northern Spain was one of three important Christian pilgrimages. According to tradition, it's where one of the apostles, Saint James (Iago), is buried.
Pilgrims came to visit from all over Europe, following established routes. Many used the Via Podensis starting in Central France continuing to the foot of the Pyrenees. There they began the Camino Frances through a mountain pass into Spain and across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostella.
People still come to walk these paths all year long. A stat from one of our travel books is that each year about ~80,000 will travel to Santiago, though most will start on the camino about 100km away.
Our plan is to begin 950km from Santiago on the southern portion of the Via Podensis at a village called Aire-sur-L'Adour, connect with the Camino Frances at St. Jean Pied De Port, then over the mountains on the "viaje" to Santiago.
To get to our starting point at Aire-sur-L'Adour, we will fly into London, enjoy a pint or two, fly down to Toulouse (nice old city and Airbus HQ . . may try to get a tour), and finally take a train and bus to Aire-sur-L'Adour.
We'll be carrying everthing we need in our backpacks and have been working like mad to get the weight down to under 20lbs each. Marie has been a fanatic and hers weighs in at 16lbs. I've got the laptop and the travel guides so it's more like 22lbs. Pretty good chance we'll both be ditching stuff along the way . . what looks necessary now probably won't seem too important after a few days of lugging it around.
Most of our travels will be through the countryside and small villages but once in Spain we hit bigger cities every 3 - 5 days. My plan is to update this blog when Marie and I reach a spot with internet access.
Wish us luck!
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Well Pilgrim
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1
Day 0
Day 0, May 17
Aire-Sur-L’Adour
951km to Santiago
We arrived at Aire-sur-L’Adour early afternoon in a drizzle. It’s a town of abou... Continue reading »
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2
Day One
Day 1, May 18
Aire-sur-L’Adour to Miramont-Sensacq
Distance: 19km
932km to Santiago, 19km from start
Marie starts our first... Continue reading »
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3
Day Two
Day 2, May 19
Miramont-Sensacq to Arzacq-Arraziguet
Distance: 12km
919km to Santiago, 32km from start
Continue reading »
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4
Day Three
Day 3, May 20
Arzacq-Arraziguet to Pomps
Distance: 20km
899km to Santiago, 52km from start
Earl... Continue reading »
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5
Day Four
Day 4, May 21
Pomps to Maslacq
Distance: 17km
882km to Santiago, 69km from start
More cloudy skies and occasional sprinkles... Continue reading »
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6
Day Five
Day 5, May 22
Maslacq to Navarrenx
Distance: 20km
863km to Santiago, 88km from start
Again, a mostly cloudy start to the da... Continue reading »
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7
Day Six
Day 6, May 23
Navarrenx to St. Palais
Distance: 26km
837km to Santiago, 114km from start
I don’t know how you plan to spend... Continue reading »
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8
Day Seven, The Meeting of the Ways
Day 7, May 24; St. Palais to Larceveau
Distance: 18km
820km to Santiago, 132km from start
Today is Marie’s birthday. Unfortunatel... Continue reading »
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9
Day Eight, Arrival at St Jean Pied de Port
Day 8, May 25
Larceveau to St. Jean Pied de Port
Distance: 20km
800km to Santiago, 152km from start
Despite a dire weather... Continue reading »
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10
Day Nine, Over the Pyrenees
Day 9, May 26
St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles
774km to Santiago, 176km from start
Distance: 26km
Well we made it, but... Continue reading »
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11
Day Ten, Hemingway Country
Day 10, May 27
Roncesvalles to Zubiri
752km to Santiago, 198km from start
Distance: 22km
Big blue skies this morning and we... Continue reading »
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12
Day 11 and 12, Arrive in Pamplona and a Rest
Day 11 & 12, May 28 & 29
Zubiri to Pamplona, day off in Pamplona
730km to Santiago, 220km from start
Distance: 22km
Continue reading » -
13
Day 13, A night at the padres' albergue
Day 13, May 30
Pamplona to Puente la Reina
707km to Santiago, 243km from start
Distance: 23km
We left Pamplona and into m... Continue reading »
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14
Day 14 & 15, An empty wine fountain and the slog continues
Day 14 & 15, May 31st and June 1st
Puente la Reina to Estella, to Los Arcos
665km to Santiago, 287km from start
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15
Day 16, A shortish day and some thoughts on the daily hikes
Day 16, June 2nd
Los Arcos to Viana
645km to Santiago, 307km from start
Distance: 20km
We had a shorter hike to... Continue reading »
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16
Day 16 and 17, Logrono and a detour to Bilbao
Day 16 & 17, June 2nd and June 3rd
Logrono and detour to Bilbao
From Viana we took a taxi to the train station in Logr... Continue reading »
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17
Day 18 and 19, Two nice days in Roja wine country
Day 18 and 19; June 4 and 5th
Viana to Navarrete, Navarrete to Najera
607km to Santiago, 345km from start
Distance: 21km, 17kmContinue reading »
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18
Day 20, The place of the pilgrim's saint
Day 20, June 6th
Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
586km from Santiago, 366km from start
Distance: 21km
Tod... Continue reading »
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19
Day 21 through 23, Three long days . . . one hung over
Day 21 through 23, June 7th through 9th
Santo Domingo to Belorado, to Ages, to Burgos
511km to Santiago, 441km fr... Continue reading »
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20
Day 24, Rest in Burgos
Day 24, June 10
Slept forever but got up in time to visit the Burgos Musuem. Another very impressive one.
As we walked back toward the... Continue reading »
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21
Day 25 and 26, Tackling the Mesetas, the worst albergue, and making it halfway
Day 24 & 25, June 11th and June 12th
470km from Santiago, 480km from start
Distance: 19km, 21km
We left... Continue reading »
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22
Day 27 and 28, The best albergue and two good days
Day 27 & 28, June 13th and June 14th
Castrojeriz to Boadilla de Camino, To Fromista
445km to Santiago, 507km... Continue reading »
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23
Day 29 and 30, In the city of the Counts and along a Roman road
Day 29 & 30, June 15th and June 16th
Fromista to Carrion de los Condes, to Calzadilla de la Cueza
408km to Sa... Continue reading »
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24
Day 31 and 32, One bad one good
Day 31 & 32, June 17th and June 18th
Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun, to El Burgo Ranero
367km to Santiago... Continue reading »
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25
Day 33 through 35, Mule town, great sheets, and a rest day in Leon
Day 33 through 35; June 19th through June 21sth
El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas, to Leon, rest day in Leon
... Continue reading » -
26
Day 36 and 37, Getting out of the Meseta
June 22nd and 23rd, Leon to Villar de Mazarife, to Hospital de Orbigo
290km to Santiago, 662km from start
Distance: 23km, 15km
A... Continue reading »
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27
Day 36 and 37, Getting out of the Meseta
June 22nd and 23rd, Leon to Villar de Mazarife, to Hospital de Orbigo
290km to Santiago, 662km from start
Distance: 23km, 15km
A... Continue reading »
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28
Days 38 through 41, Travel to Astorga and rest days in Madrid
June 24 through 27, Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga, rest days in Madrid and Astorga
275km to Santiago, 677km from start
Distance: 15kmContinue reading »
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29
Day 42 through 44, Up a mountain, down a mountain
June 28th through 30th, Astorga to Rabanal del Camino, to Molinaseca, to Ponferrada
220 km from Santiago, 733km from start
Distance: 21... Continue reading »
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30
Day 45 through 47, Baby Jesus draws to an inside straight and up our last mountain
July 1st through 3rd, Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo, to Vega de Valcarce, to O´Cebreiro
166km from Santiago, 786km from start
Di... Continue reading »
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31
Day 48 through 51, Four great days and almost there!
July 4th through July 7th, O´Cebreiro to Tricastela, to Sarria, to Portomarin, to Palas de Rei
71km to Santiago, 881km from start
Dista... Continue reading »
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32
Day 52 through 54, Octopus on the menu
July 8th through July 10th, Palas de Rei to Melida, to Arzua, to Arca do Pino
22 km to Santiago, 932km from start
Continue reading » -
33
Day 55 and 56, We're here and Saint James gets a hug
July 11th and July 12th, Arco do Pino to Santiago, Day in Santiago
0km to Santiago, 952km from start
Distance: 22... Continue reading »
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