When travelling in South America, large buses/coaches/colectivos/micros are the main form of long distance transport. It is not uncommon to travel for over 24 hours on the bus to get to your destination, as the distances between towns and cities are vast. Whilst the scenery might be amazing, you can only look out of a window for so long. Thankfully, most of the buses offer decent seats, the occasional rest stop and if you are lucky then you could have a shared TV playing movies (in spanish or silent). To survive the inevitable boredom, it is wise to follow some of the below tips.
Snacks
I have seen a few hopeless tourists embark on a 24+ hout bus journey with no food in hand, and then moan about being hungry for several hours. There are normally rest stops but you cannot guarantee what food will be on sale, or the regularity of the stops. Go prepared. There will not be a fridge so choose savoury items that will keep. Empanadas is a great choice. A large bottle of water is a good idea, but also kids sized fruit juice cartons can come in handy, to give you some much needed vitamins. I made sure to keep all my snacks in a separate bag to my main rucksack so that I could keep it on the seat with me, and not disturb everyone each time I needed something from the overhead shelf.
Batteries
Whilst some of the buses have USB chargers over the seats, this is not the case with all of them. I have found a portable charger (fully charged beforehand) to be invaluable. You can bet that you will not be able to access any signal or internet for the majority of your journey either so there is no need to waste charge on your phone trying and failing to get 4G. Put your phone on airplane mode, and you will be surprised how long it lasts you.
Bathrooms
There is normally one toilet on the bus and toilets at your infrequent rest stops. You can be assured that the hygiene of toilets being occupied by 30+ people in a short period, will not be good. Not only can you expect poor hygiene, but also dodgy locks and no toilet paper is common. Take tissue and anti-bacterial gel with you, I can not stress this enough. It is also not a bad idea to carry some pills to avoid any unexpected stomach problems on a strenuous and very shared journey. To give you an example of the demands of the on bus toilet… on a 26 hour journey, I put off going in the bus toilet as long as I could, until I could wait no more. I took myself to have a wee, to the toilet which by this point (hour 20 maybe) was a state. There was not only no tissue, but also no water in the tap, and I had thought the door was locked. Apparently not. When I went to pull up my pants, another lady threw the door open, and said “I’m sorry but I have to go in, I am going to be sick”. She then vomited into the only toilet for a bus full of people about four times. I did not use the toilet again that journey.
Offline entertainment
Before your long journey, do an audit of your phone/tablet/laptop apps. How many of them can you use offline? There are actually a lot of games that you can access offline that can provide some easy entertainment. I have become a regular player of the offline chess.com app at the this point, but I am still struggling to beat the computer… Previously downloaded tv series and movies on streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ or music from Spotify can also be a great way to kill off the long hours. You can also take to the traditional pencil and paper, and do some sketching, or journaling. I have been improving my sketching by drawing copies of photos I have taken of local scenery and wildlife. If all else fails, maybe bring a book?
My recent sketches in my pocket notepad
Offline work
If you have the sort of job that you can work offline with, such as writing, then this can easily be a way to lose some time. If you are feeling like you want to put that time to good use. It is a good idea to test this out before your journey by disconnecting yourself from WiFi at your hostel, to see that everything works okay before you start promising on deadlines to be completed. I have been burnt by this myself when I assumed that the Microsoft Word on my chromebook would still work okay offline, it turned out that it was still powered by an online service, so I missed out on doing hours of work.
Sleeping
If you are on a long journey by bus, you will be travelling overnight, and testing out those reclining seats to the maximum. It can be cold on the bus in the evening, as you have not been moving around much, and the drivers always seem to crank up the AC for some reason. Probably to stay awake themselves. The problem is, this also keeps me awake. If you have a light blanket or something to put over yourself, make it reachable. I tried to get my coat from the overhead shelf in the middle of the night (4am), and it was very dark, and very awkward when in pulling my coat out, I accidently knocked a shoe off the shelf and it fell and hit the sleeping passenger in the face who was sitting in front of me. It was really bad.
Sometimes, being awake when everyone else is asleep can be a blessing though. It is super quiet, and you might see an amazing sunrise that everyone else misses. That is what happened to me on one journey…
Overall, don’t underestimate the planning needed before your long road trip. If you put in a little effort to prepare, you will be glad you did.
Following my visit to Argentina’s Lake District, I continued my journey South into the center of the Patagonian region and one step closer towards the bottom of the world. This area is full of mountains, and glaciers, and many national parks!
Perito Moreno
After a 13 hour bus journey from El Bolson, I made it to the small town of Perito Moreno. I was the only person to exit the bus at 1am and make my way to my little wooden cabin in the town centre. I had come here for only one reason, to see the Cueva de las Manos, only accessible by car or tour.
Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands)
I joined a tour group of Argentine people, and we made our way across some very bumpy roads and past wildlife and huge canyons, before finally arriving at the UNESCO site of Cueva de las Manos. This world famous spot has an amazing collection of ancient cave paintings and hand prints, not inside the cave but across the front of it, along a huge rock face. The guide on the site escorted our group through a long boardwalk running across the side of the paintings and with views of a canyon on the other side.
These amazing paintings crowd the walls and include handprints of adults and children from possibly three different times. You can also see illustrations of animals that they would hunt, geometric shapes, that are suspected to represent a map, and there is even a suspected paw print of a puma! The whole collection is made up of different colours, including yellows and bright blues, and are made from different natural materials. I imagine that the person that discovered this must have been completely astonished by all the haunting raised hands.
Patagonia Park
The tour also included visits to other interesting locations nearby such as the Patagonia Park, which had huge salt flats to see.
The locals prepared a lunch for our group of traditional and locally produced food. It was delicious and in true Argentine style, the portions were huge. I tried to tell the people in the group that I was full, but the little old ladies in the group said they wanted to fatten me up and they are like my ‘abuela’ (grandma) and want to look after me! haha
Coloured mountains
The last stop was an hour hike over some amazing hilltops/mountains that were brightly coloured in oranges, red and yellows. This is due to the properties in the rocks and all the minerals being brought out by rainfall. It was pretty awesome, and the short walk to the top gives you an amazing view!
El Chalten & Fitz Roy
Next stop on my trip was to the little town of El Chalten. Getting there was a struggle. It had been raining the night before, and so they rerouted the bus to the only other motorway that took us to the bottom of the country then we turned back around and went back up… A 10 hour journey took 18 hours… craziness.
On finally arriving, I headed straight out for a short hike to a nearby waterfall. It was great to get some fresh air and put my head under the flowing glacier water. I also got great views of the landscape and the town. El chalten is a part of this natural landscape and is an absolute haven for hikers and climbers.
Laguna de los tres
The next day, I started the strenuous hike of Laguna de los tres to Fitz Roy mountain. This hike is only 20 km but it took me about 9 hours. The final km took about two hours as the climb was a directly up ascent on difficult terrain. Normally I walk 4-5 km per hour.
The trail passes through forests, rivers, lakes and grasslands, as well as going through two campsites. It was a very warm and busy day on the trail, but this gave me the opportunity to meet many people. During my day of trekking, I befriended two different groups from Argentina and a girl from Spain. Making conversation with strangers is one of my favourite parts of solo trekking, as I meet so many interesting people from all around the world.
On reaching the top, I collapsed in a pile for a few minutes, then made my way to the lake that was formed by the melting glacier, and took an icy drink, before taking a dip. I spent a few hours here, relaxing and enjoying the sights of the Fitz Roy mountain and the falling water to the drop below.
El Calafate
Next day, I was off to Calafate, on the other side of the National Glacier Park from El Chalten. This town is bustling with tourist shops and restaurants. I have a dwindling budget so I cooked whilst I was there, but still managed to admire the Patagonian Lambs being roasted over the fire through the restaurant windows.
Perito Moreno Glacier
The main excursion to take from El Calafate is to see the huge Perito Moreno Glacier. You have to take a tour which costs about £35 to get to the glacier which is a few hours away. There is then a small charge for the entrance to the park. We were given four hours in the park. I was given a choice to pay extra for a one hour boat ride that takes you closer to the glacier, but I chose not to take this option, and just enjoyed the various boardwalk routes around the front of the glacier.
This huge glacier is very unique and larger than the entire city of Buenos Aires (which blew my mind)! The glacier is apparently in balance,meaning that it loses the same amount of ice each day as is returned to it, due to how the water flows around it. There are three different routes you can take around the glacier’s boardwalk, and they vary by height and length. I did all three, and found the boardwalk system to be very efficient and plentiful in relaxing balconies where you could eat your lunch and watch pieces of the glacier fall into the water below. This phenomenon was amazing. I saw not only the ice fall and splash against the lake, but also the lower layer of ice boil up to the surface and spin around in circles. Very cool.
Rio Gallegos
My last stop in Argentina for a while, was Rio Gallegos. I came here to the bottom of mainland Argentina, to cross the border into Chile. There is not much to see here but it is a good supply stop, and there are some sculptures along a promenade walk and a small house that you can visit as a free museum.
For now, I am off to Chile, for some more trekking and to see the other side of Patagonia, before I return to Argentina, to visit the bottom of the world…
I have now spent a week in Buenos Aires to begin my journey through Argentina and Chile. This solo visit is the first time I have been to this city that makes me feel as if I never left Europe. I have dipped my toe into the main attractions and some of the culture here, before I revisit with a travel companion in three months time.
Travel to Argentina
The journey to Buenos Aires from the UK was a very long one. At 3am on the Tuesday I left my home town on a coach to Stansted Airport. At 8am I flew to Madrid. Waited in a lovely airport lounge in Madrid until 6pm (spain time) then took a flight to Buenos Aires for about 13 hours, arriving 4am on the Wednesday (Argentina time). I then had to wait for Argentina to wake up before I could travel to my hostel and check in. It was long but comfortable.
The coach was comfy, the airport lounge was relaxing and the flight to Buenos Aires was very pleasant. I travelled with Aerolineas Argentina (Argentina Airlines) and I had a decent seat, and an empty seat next to me, a personal TV with movies and music, and a blanket and pillow. They provided breakfast and dinner which was satisfying and they were very efficient. I booked a Taxi in advance at the other end, and the driver was really friendly and helpful, and we had a long conversation in Spanish.
First impressions
On leaving the airport, I could immediately be reminded that I was in a third world country. As a capital city, it struck me as very underdeveloped, with many buildings being dishevelled and outdated. Many of the businesses that I could see were targeting those needing quick cash. For example, there seems to be ‘cash for gold’ pawn shops on most streets in downtown.
On the other hand, the outdated buildings do offer a level of charming bohemian style. There is no pretending, many of the streets are just as they have been for many decades. This means their European influence is still very clear. There were many times where I actually felt like I was in Madrid, because of the style of the buildings around me.
My hostel was to a good standard, although bathrooms are definitely a problem here. The first time I used my hostel shared bathroom, the door handle broke off in my hand. I have been to other locations in the city where the restaurant or attraction seems great but the toilet is awful. I went to one restaurant where the door seemed to be from a piece of a shipping container, and you just had to wedge it shut, not lock it.
Supermarkets are also different, after being spoilt by European supermarkets, and being a picky eater too, this has been a challenge.. The supermarkets are much smaller, and offer much less fresh baked goods or easy meals. The fruit is surrounded by fruit flies and you have to search for a non bruised selection, and many of the things on offer are packeted. I have found some bits that I have really enjoyed, such as Pepas, which are their version of jam tarts. Very nice. Creativity definitely comes into play when creating meals from the supermarket.
Food from restaurants and cafes are another story. Every meal or snack I have bought from a bakery or a cafe or a restaurant has been absolutely delicious! Empanadas are the traditional snack of the Argentines, and can be bought with ham and cheese, meat or in other flavours, this filled pastry is addictive, cheap and available in a lot of locations. An absolute winner! I also have tried some asado (their famous grilled steak) I don’t normally like steak, but Wow! This was good stuff! Deserts are amazing here, with dulce de leche (their tasty caramel) in large supply. It has been very hard to reign myself in and not eat tons whilst here!
Uptown and Downtown
On my first full day in Buenos Aires, I took a city tour with a group of Argentines and Brazilians. The tour took us to several places in the North of the city, and then places in the South. The difference was obvious. Uptown is the place of the wealthy, and downtown is for those that are true working class and others that that are struggling to make ends meet. I don’t think I have ever been to a place where the difference is so huge geographically in one city. Apparently, everyone was mixed originally, but decades ago, an epidemic of Yellow Fever meant that those that could afford it, left downtown to move North where the infectious mosquitoes were less of an issue. Now, in the North of the city, you can see skyscrapers and people on their iphones and apple macs, and designer stores and flash hotels. Whilst in downtown, people keep their valuables hidden, the buildings are old and in need of repairs, and on the other side of the railway tracks, lie the slums where some people don’t even have a home. I felt very conflicted about this when in the same hour, you could see people buying designer clothes, you can see a group of six year olds looking through the street’s rubbish for food.
Buenos Aires slums from a distance
I have learnt that nearly 50% of the population are living under the poverty line, and so many areas of the city are off limits to visitors for safety, and tourist police patrol the biggest tourist sites. I didn’t really feel unsafe at any point, however I was cautious. I mainly just felt sorry that I couldn’t do more to help.
Despite the hardship present, the people of downtown Buenos Aires are clearly continuing to work hard and keep going as I witnessed numerous protests, and sellers of their own artisan crafts, determined to improve their circumstances. The attitude of these Portenos is inspiring, and everyone I met was so generous and lovely. On the Sunday of my visit, I visited the San Telmo Antiques fair, where people were selling their finds, and their crafts. There were some really beautiful items that I couldn’t resist, and I will definitely be coming back for homecoming gifts at the end of my trip.
Not far from San Telmo are key attractions like the iconic obelisk of the city, which memorialises the first foundation of the city, this is in the centre of a huge avenue, and lots of shops and restaurants. A little walk to the river and you will find more restaurants and the striking Puente de Mujeres (Women’s Bridge), this pointy looking landmark, is symbolic of a couple dancing the tango, Argentina’s national dance.
Another special thing to see in the city’s downtown, is Boca. This neighbourhood is full of colourful buildings, and the beloved football stadium. This small area is designated for tourists to visit, and their are many street performers and paid for photo opportunities. There is also a rope and bollards to separate the zone from a destitute area, discouraging tourists from entering it.
Plaza de Mayo is the biggest attraction in the microcentre of downtown. This popular square has multiple historic buildings including Casa Rosada which is a pink building and also the office of the president.
In the corner of the square is also the Cathedral. This was a lovely building to visit and had no fee. Not only did it have beautiful spaces, but it is also the location of a guarded tomb of the important General San Martin.
General Jose de San Martin is extremely important to many people across South America. The mausoleum remembers his notable role in freeing Argentina, Chile and Peru, and helping them gain their independence. According to my guide, San Martin remains are on the outside of the cathedral’s main nave, because he was actually not catholic, but a mason.
Uptown
Head to the North of the city to the neighbourhooods of Recocleta, Palermo and Barrio Norte, and you will see that everything becomes more polished and modern. Even the subway line ‘D’ is much nicer than the other subway lines. It is not a subtle change but dramatic.
One of the biggest attractions is the Recocleta Cemetary as it is a beautiful site of memorials and grand tombs. Many of them have stories to go with them, but the most famous of all is the tomb of Eva Peron. Known by many as ‘Evita’ (little Eva), she is famous around the world for her acts as a socialist and as the wife of President Peron. She has even been played by Madonna in a very successful musical. There is a lot of love for Eva in Buenos Aires, and a museum about her short life, which I plan to visit on my return to the city.
You will also find in the north of the city, a collection of parks, many of them were closed on the Monday that I visited and I will try them again in my second visit. I did manage to visit the popular Japonese Gardens though. This was only about £4 to enter and was a peaceful space in the city to relax and enjoy the pretty architecture and coy fish.
El Tigre
If you take a train and head further North, you will arrive at El Tigre. This town is the Argentinian version of Venice. It did also remind me of the Broads National Park in Norfolk a little too. The town is at the beginning of the wetlands on the Parana Delta, and is made up of a central town, and then a community of people that live on separate islands within a river network. Whilst there, I wandered around the promenade where there are some gorgeous buildings, and then took a little boat tour of the river. The boat rides on the river here are not for the sensitive types, I was glad I had not eaten yet, as the boat was lifted from the water and waves crashed down alongside me. It was quite an experience! The little houses on the side were very interesting to see, but what was more strange was all the abandoned items in the river. I saw at least two rusty shipwrecks, and a telephone pole that looked like it might come down at any moment. It was very odd! I would have like to have ventured into more remote parts of the delta, but my tour just stuck to the main strip.
With my first stop in Buenos Aires complete, I am now on my way into the Pampas and towards the Lake District of Argentina.
My final stay in Spain of 2021 was two nights in the popular city of Barcelona. Whilst there, I hopped on a train to Girona to explore the cathedral for a few hours. This was my third visit to Barcelona, and the city continues to baffle me!
I arrived in Barcelona by train and made my way across the underground network to my hostel ‘Yeah – Barcelona Hostel’. Whilst very busy, the subway system there is a great way to move around the city, you can pay for single journeys or multi day trips, and it is very affordable. I would also say that it has some of the cleanest underground stations and trains, that I have ever experienced, especially when you compare it with grimy subways like NYC’s network.
I didn’t realise until I arrived, that the hostel I had booked is actually a sister luxury hostel to the one I stayed in within Madrid. The hostel is very trendy and only 15 minutes walk to very big attractions. There is a comfortable lounge with access to Netflix and games etc, a rooftop terrace with a pool (though it was too cold for me to use), and the rooms are very comfortable. I also decided to have the breakfast, which can be very ‘hit and miss’ in hostels, but I was impressed with this breakfast, for five euros, I accessed an all you can eat continental buffet, which had a ‘make your own’ pancakes table with all the syrups! Delicious!
It had been a decade since I last visited Barcelona, and I recalled that the last time, I had found the city quite stressful. I wanted to give it another chance, but I knew that I would be avoiding the tacky tourist spot of La Rambla. This is the longest street, with living statues, novelty shops, and lots of pickpockets. I wanted to try to understand more of the Gaudi vibe in the city. Barcelona is famous for the architect and artist, Guadi. His works are very unique with lots of busy shapes and colours, and a vast amount of tile mosaic use. There are several buildings in the city that were designed by him, including Casa Batlló, and Casa Mila.
Some photos from a previous visit
I left the hostel in the morning to explore and find these locations, and hopefully visit. I don’t know how, but I managed to get lost a couple of times. It seems strange to me that one can get lost in this city, because the entire centre is designed as a grid, with no alleys or shortcuts. This is frustrating though, because it takes ages to walk everywhere, you cannot cut across diagonally to get to your destination faster, you must walk along very long wide streets until you eventually get to the side street you want. The city is so busy and has so many buildings and wide roads, it can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are struggling to find any fingerpost signs to point you the right way!
After some irritation I found my way to Casa Batlló, and the outside of the building is very striking. It is definitely worth a photo. I wanted more information, and began to queue to visit inside. When I realised the cost of admission though, I quickly exited… I am a budget traveller right now, and running low on cash. Most attractions I have visited in Spain, have been less than ten euros to visit. The Casa Batlló wanted 35 euros for admission, which would have been blowing my budget on the first place, for an experience that would probably be less than an hour. It was the same situation when I wondered down to the next Casa Mila, so I just enjoyed the views from the outside and decided to use my imagination for the inside!
I knew I wanted to make a visit to the Sagrada Familia, which is Barcelona’s world famous basilica, designed by Gaudi. It is well known as a complex example of architecture, that 135 years from being started, is still not complete, and construction is ongoing.
I found my way to the building and wanted to visit a ticket office to buy my ticket, as I had no internet data left on my phone to go on their website. I wondered around the perimeter of the building, struggling to find the ticket office. When I decided to ask one of the security officers, I found out that the attraction does not have an office. You must buy tickets online… very unhelpful to me. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket from the tourist information centre, so I then had to get my paper map out, and begin the search for the TIC. When I eventually found it, I had to wait in a long queue, and was given my self guided admission ticket. I also asked the vendor about my intention to visit a park attraction later in the day, assuming this would be no problem as it is a park. She told me that this must also be booked in advance, for an allocated time, and she only had one slot left, so I grabbed that to.
When entering the Sagrada Familia, there is an audio guide available, but you must download their app to use it. Thankfully, the attraction has free WiFi that you can sign up for. I got the app, and began to make way from point to point around the outside and then inside of the church.
There is no question that the design of the building is remarkable and unique, I especially liked the turtles holding up the columns at the front entrance. The inside columns are also designed to make you feel as if you are in a forest space, which I think provides the space with an unusual feel. There are many sculptures of the holy family (which the church is named after), and they are especially prominent over the main doorways. The stained glass in the building provides a multitude of colours in the space, and generally, there is so much intricate design going on inside the building it is hard to know where to look.
According to the information provided, Guadi made a special effort to make sure that the building’s height did not exceed the nearby mountain, because he said that no work of man should surpass a work of god. It seems that Gaudi did intend for the space to honour god, but for me, the space did not fulfil this purpose.
I have visited many holy spaces over the years, and in the past few months, I have been to countless churches within Spain. Sagrada Familia is the only one of all of them where I would not feel at peace, or have the comfort and security I needed to worship God.
The space feels very hectic. Whilst the design is beautiful, the crowds of tourists, the noise, and even the security ropes strung across the pews just made me feel as if it was more of a theme park attraction than a church. I loved the sculptures and the colours, but I did not feel a holy connection here, and the atmosphere was actually very stressful.
Later in the day, I made my way to Park Güell for sunset. This park has a collection of buildings and spaces inspired by Gaudi, and it is also at the top of a large hill, so is a viewpoint of the city skyline. I enjoyed seeing some of the views and there were many people gathered here to watch the sunset.
It did not take me long to realise though, that we were not facing West. The sun was on the other side of the mountain, and it wasn’t going to be as good of a sunset as I hoped. It was still pretty but nothing like some of the other sunsets I have seen on my travels. This is the problem, I have been spoilt rotten!
After this, I walked back down the hill, and joined a friend living locally for some well deserved dinner. This was very relaxing, and the best part of the day for me.
Before flying home, I wanted to take the opportunity to visit nearby city of Girona. I had heard it was pretty, and I also knew that the cathedral was the filming location for some scenes in King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. So, of course, I had to go!
The train journey was a comfortable 90 minute journey on high speed railway. The train station is then only a 20 minute walk from the cathedral. I only had about two hours to enjoy Girona, in the mid morning. On arrival, I could tell that the city had more of a traditional spanish feel, that I am now accustomed to. There is a river running through the centre of the city, and a set of old bridges to cross, before you come to a quaint high street, and pleasant plazas. As I continued to walk closer to the cathedral, I began to ascend up various alleys and steps, to this special church that could just slightly be seen from the bottom of the hill.
On arrival to the cathedral, one can stand in the shadow of the striking building, that towers over hundreds of steps. The steep stairs could easily rival the ‘rocky’ steps in Philadelphia, in terms of my ‘puffed out’ factor. The steps and front facade at the entrance was the view that was used within Game of Thrones for many notable scenes, such as the ‘walk of shame’ and many grand arrivals to the ‘King’s Landing’ location.
The cathedral admission was very reasonable, and also included entrance to the basilica next door. The cathedral has a very wide nave that is quite unique in architecture, and provides the space with more sunlight. There were also some chapels, and a room with a unique sculpture of the sleeping Virgin Mary. I have never seen anything similar to this before.
The basilica is just across the road from the cathedral, and is a smaller space. It still benefits from beautiful designs and art in its chapel, and a lovely altarpiece as well.
After this quick walk around Girona, I headed back to Barcelona, for my flight home to the UK.
Barcelona, and Girona are so close to each other, but have such different vibes. I really liked Girona, because it has a fairytale look to it within the old town, and had a very traditional vibe. It felt authentic. Barcelona also has a fairytale look in many locations, thanks to Gaudi, but instead of feeling relaxed, I find the city very stressful to be in, due to its popularity and ‘overtourism’. It actually feels more like a bustling theme park, with overpriced product, crowds, queueing and a confusing layout. The city is so large and important though, I know that I will likely visit again. Next time, I will try to see more of the neighbourhood areas of the city, as I am sure somewhere in this city, I will find my fit!
After completing my journey to Santiago de Compostela, I hit the road again, and made my way to the beautiful city of Salamanca for an overnight stay.
Salamanca is a small city in the North West of Spain. Whilst it is not dramatically far from Santiago de Compostela, it was not the simplest to get to. I had to take a train to another town, and then a local bus to Salamanca. After this long journey, I was too early for check in, and decided to start on the sightseeing straight away.
I knew nothing about Salamanca before visiting. Only that it was a city that looked nice in pictures, and had a name that I enjoyed saying out loud… SAL – A – MANCA 😄
It turns out that Salamanca is also known as the ‘Golden City’ because of the golden orange colour of the buildings throughout the old town. The colour definitely does make you feel as if you were in an arabian paradise, but Northern Spain really doesn’t fit that profile! 😄 The city’s old town has a mix of palaces, religious buildings, and university buildings.
It seems that the University of Salamanca is very well renowned in Spain, as the first university that existed in the country. Many of the oldest buildings in the city are under use of the students still today. The public library can be visited for free, and is particularly unique as a building completely covered in the image of shells, giving it the name ‘Casa de las Conchas’. This was interesting to me, as shells are the symbol of the Camino de Santiago that I have just completed. On this occasion, they are related to the marriage between two noble families.
I also paid for the guided tour of the Pontificia university building, which is a separately owned catholic part of the university for theology and law schools, and has an adjoining church. This tour was in Spanish so there was a lot of me trying to follow what was being said, but the general jist of it consisted of a very fancy staircase, cloister and some sort of debate room.
The building was very fancy, and there were many references to important figures from Christianity, the history of the university, and the monarchy. I think you would be very lucky to study in these surroundings.
You can also climb the towers of the buildings and walk around the outside of them. The views of the city are great here, and I enjoyed seeing the bells. The only downside was that it was a foggy day!
Of course, I also visited Salamanca’s Cathedral. You actually get two for the price of one when you visit, as the old cathedral resides inside the new cathedral. When the new one was built, the city decided not to tear the old one down but instead incorporate it. They are very different and make it a very large space to visit. A useful audio guide is included in the visit and pilgrims receive a discount.
The new cathedral has many chapels and lots of detail, as well as two beautiful organs that can be admired from the front and back. The choir carvings are also exquisite. It is a brilliant place to take photographs. Later, on the self guided tour, I entered the old cathedral, which has a much more plain and simple feel to it. Though the architecture is simple, it does still have many chapels as well, and many more ancient wall paintings to admire. The cathedral also has a small museum space to enjoy.
In the evening, Salamanca’s golden stonework, lights up the streets and the shopping areas and main plaza is bustling after 8pm. I happened to be here after the christmas decorations were up, so I was able to dine outside in the plaza with a lovely meal and a heater, and watch the christmas display with hundreds of local people.
The next morning, I wondered along the riverside, took a look at the roman bridge and visited an art nouveau and art déco museum, within a beautiful building called ‘Casa Lis’. The building has gorgeous stained glass windows and a stained glass roof. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed except for in the cafe, so there is only a photo of my hot chocolate! This was delicious 😉
Finally, I made my way to the train station for my next stop. I was delightfully surprised by the train station in Salamanca. It is huge and has many restaurants and a cinema attached within the building.
Overall, Salamanca was a pretty little city, with a good few things to see that are all very close together. I would be happy to return and visit more of the university, noble houses and palaces next time.
During my two months following the Camino del Norte from Irun to Santiago de Compostela, I have stayed in all sorts of places. Some were absolute luxuries and some were absolute horror stories. I have now narrowed down my top ten.
On the Camino de Santiago’s many routes there are lots of accommodation types on offer:
Albergue / Hostel
Very similar to each other, many are pilgrim only. The main differences to remember are that in an albergue you generally have one main hall for everyone, lights out and lock up at 10pm and have to be out by 8am. Many have no heating, and you have to keep your fingers crossed for a bottom bunk, as after a week of walking, you won’t want to be climbing a ladder each time you need to wee.
Pension
This is normally a guesthouse but sometimes a pension might have a bunk room, and extra services. Normally it is owned by a husband and wife team, and they will have a bar/restaurant next door.
Pasada / Country Lodge
These are like luxurious pensions and tend to be in a rural scenic location, in a small village, and possibly the only place to stay.
Hotel
I would say that a hotel is obvious, but it is not. There are many different standards and many hotels have no services at all, and are really pensions. For me, a hotel needs to have a manned reception, this was only common in hotels above three stars.
Top 10
To make it to the top, the accommodation has to have the big three; great location, great price, and a great bed.
1. Blai Blai Hostel, Zarautz
I had a really comfy stay at the Blai Blai. The hostel is in a popular location for not only pilgrims but also lots of surfers. The woman on reception was very nice and helpful. There is a supermarket above and to the side of the hostel, so very convenient. The rooms are very clean and modern, with all the outlets you need in your own little bunk. The only cons were that there was no oven (not uncommon), and no in house washing machine, I had to go to the laundarette down the street.
2. Albergue Bide-Ona, Portugalete
Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of this one. The guy managing the albergue is really friendly, and helped a lot with information and route planning. The albergue is clean and organised, and has a really chilled vibe to it. There is also a really reasonably priced cafe down the road where I got a giant bowl of cesar salad that was delicious.
3. Pasada Villa Rural, Guemas
Again, another one with no photo. This is pretty much the only place to stay in Guemas, as it is a tiny village. The lodge is really nice quality though, and the owners have a restaurant next door which is handy. The views from the rooms are really nice and you can enjoy sitting on the terrace too.
4. Canal Hotel, Unquera
I think the photo below is enough to earn the Canal Hotel a place on the list! In general though, it was a pleasant hotel, with clean rooms, friendly staff, and a free breakfast.
5. Casa de la trinidad (San Francisco Convent), Laredo
This convent had no heating but otherwise it was great! The nuns sign you in, and then buzz you in and out when you go for dinner. The rooms are very clean, and there is a kitchen available. It felt very special to sleep in the convent, and I had the room to myself (there are only two beds to a room).
6. Casa Espana, Villaviciosa
I really thought I had a photo of this hotel but apparently I don’t, and that is very annoying! It is a very pretty hotel! It is a historic building and has a gorgeous appearance outside and inside. In my room was lots of hard wood antique furniture. Everything was very clean. The staff were also very helpful.
7. Boogalow Hostel, Gijon
The Boogalow hostel is still fairly new and it is a really comfy stay. A great location, facing the beach and with sea views. There is fun decor including games and best of all, a swing chair! The hostel offer lots of free muffins and snacks etc, the only downside was they needed a few more bits of kitchen equipment, in case there are lots of guests wanting to cook at once.
8. Hotel Palacio de la Magdalena, Soto del Barco
This former palace is beautiful and very luxurious! I had so much time in the bathtub, and laying on the comfy bed. They even gave you your own dressing gown. I realised later that there was also a spa! Unfortunately, I was only there one night and did not have any swim gear so could not take advantage. I did use the hotel restaurant which was very fancy and still reasonable at only €16 for the menu of the day. Plus, they gave me complementary leek cake!
9. Casa de Manas, Grove
Beautifully finished country lodge, surrounded by a river and cows. The bed was very ‘princess and the pea’ style, the radiators looked like marble, and the bath was a jacuzzi. Very nice! The owners were also very helpful and provided a free breakfast at the restaurant a little up the hill.
10. Hotel San Marcus, Sobrado dos Monxes
Comfy room, and nice bathroom. Very cosy, with a balcony to sit on and views of the monastery. The lady running the hotel also made free drinks and snacks available 24/7 and breakfast was included.
Doing the camino off season, did leave me with less options to choose from this year, but I am so glad I managed to get a bed at these locations. I would recommend to anyone doing the walk, to mix it up and sprinkle some different types of stay into your trip. You deserve a little luxury after walking for 40km in one day, and the baths really help!
This week was my final 100km to Santiago de Compostela. Many people begin their entire route from here, for me, it was the beginning of the end, of a very long walk.
Now that I am in Galicia, a new language has been introduced again, a subtle change in culture and architecture. It is so interesting to see the subtle changes. The terrain is flatter and now includes many forests, and little services.
The week began great, leaving before sunrise to walk to Vilalba, I enjoyed my first walk in mostly sunshine for many days. I got some brilliant photos, and whilst my foot was sore, I was full of positivity. Especially once I saw the first road sign to Santiago! It finally felt within reach!
I made my way to a cafe, which I found then to be closed, but hung around outside looking sad until the nice spanish lady let me in! She opened up just for me and I had a hot chocolate, and a long conversation in spanish about politics and Galicia. Very good practice.
Before I knew it, I had made it to the hostel. I was all on my own at the hostel, and it was 1km outside of town, so I had an interesting attempt at ordering a delivery. After a long struggle, I finally had my cheeseburger and chocolate brownie, snuggled up in my sleeping bag.
Vilalba is a nice town, with lots of shops and services, a little castle. It would make a good rest day stop, if I had not been so eager to finish!
The walk to Baamonde was very rainy and had many roads, except at the beginning where there was a pretty boardwalk route through a park along the river. It was ‘only’ 22km but a big struggle with an already very sore foot and knees. Thankfully, I had some company in the second half, in the form of a lovely pilgrim from Switzerland. He had already walked 2000km, and was already ready to get to Santiago by now. I love walking alone, but it is nice to have someone else to listen to other than your own thoughts sometimes. Eventually, we made it to our hostel, and enjoyed a lovely dinner together of baby squid again, of course.
Baamonde is a very small place, but it is also the marker point for being 100km from Santiago de Compostela. This makes it a starting point for many people’s journey. For me, it was a beautiful sign that my journey was almost complete.
The next day I had a choice to make. I could do one long day of at least 32km to the next stage, or take another route over two days (doing 15km, then 25km). The guy from Switzerland wanted me to join him for the big hike, but my foot hurt too much. I decided to stick with my plan of long afternoon rests and went with two days. So we went our separate ways, with an agreement to celebrate together in Santiago.
The 15km to the little village of Miraz, turned out to be really enjoyable, despite my pain. The sun came out for me, and I could take lots of breaks as the walk was shorter. I walked with a herd of cows for at least 1km which was a fun experience, and I even came across a house where the owner made his own special pilgrim stamp. I knocked on the door, and he especially came out, lit a fire, melted some wax and stamped my passport.
On arrival to the village, I relaxed, soothed my feet and counted the days to Santiago.
The next day was my last walk over 25km, to Sobrado dos Monxes. The weather was very bad again, and the poncho was on all day. There were very little places to sit and no bars to use as refuge until I was an hour from the end. The landscape was quite different, more boulders and I could sense that I was now very high from sea level, making it much more windy.
I did spend two hours of the walk with three local spanish guys. We chatted in espanol, which was great practice for me. They walk the last 100km of the camino every seven years (on holy years) on the run up to christmas. So, they were fresh to the walk, on their first day, and so much quicker than me, who at this point is limping! I have been limping for about five days now… After a few hours I told them to go ahead of me, so I could take a break. Several hours later I arrived in Sobrado.
I was in a lovely hotel this night that overlooked the monastery in town. There was an option to sleep in the monastery with the monks, but at this point I just needed comfort and a hot bath. It was amazing to lay in hot water and soothe my muscles. The next day I left a bit later so that I could explore the beautiful monastery. I wanted to take the mass but the timings did not work with my schedule. The monastery is beautiful, and I almost missed a massive section of it where the door was out of sight! Thankfully, a nice monk pointed me in the right direction, and we had a good chat. Apparantly, they don’t use the large part of the church for masses anymore, instead it can be used for weddings. Very fancy!
Then by 11am, I was on my 22km walk to Arzua, and on to the home stretch now!
I cannot say anything good about this stretch of the walk. The rain never stopped, and I was in agony. I actually attempted to change my socks (in wet shoes) at one point, and squeezed about a pint of dirty water from them. There were many roads, and little places to rest. When I made it to Arzua, I was relieved and exhausted.
Arzua is quite a big town, and the joining point for the camino del norte with the more popular camino frances. This meant I would finally be able to send my backpack ahead of me for two days. Now that my entire body is sore, this is great news!
The next day started with irritation to get my backpack sent off, and with trying to fight for a chance to use the one plug outlet to charge my phone, that was shared by 40 people.
The rain this day was the worse there has been throughout, plus strong wind. I did not have my backpack though, so I felt light and quick for the first time in months. It was great. Whilst, I was still in pain and very wet, I found myself feeling very grateful, for life. Grateful to have the opportunity to be alive and here.
I also saw many other pilgrims along the way now, and I was able to get some sick satisfaction that I was not suffering the path alone. I can now identify a pilgrim with ease. The key identifiers are:
Backpack and poncho
Obsession with stamps
Hiking boots and poles
Tortured look in eyes
Broken spanish or use of the phrase ‘tanta lluvia’
Sports wear
Dirty and smelly looking
Walking with a limp, we all have the same one.
This day I spent the afternoon walking with a very lost looking 20 year old girl from China. She had only started a few days before, and was not well prepared. She only had a small puffer jacket, trainers,a little bag, no sleeping bag, and an umbrella that consistently turned inside out. She was struggling to find her way, and so I offered to help. We walked through absolute rivers to get to the next stop in Pedrouzo but whilst I was ankle deep in water, all I could do was accept it, laugh and keep singing along.
After one final night in a pilgrim hostel, a very cold damp night, I finally made my last big walk to just outside Santiago, Monte del Gozo.
The walk was a lot drier, only raining half the day. It was also an even mix of walking through woodland and road, which was good for the feet.
The best part, came at the end, when I visited the pilgrim monument overlooking my final destination, Santiago de Compostela. The monument is 600 metres off route on a hill, but worth the view. After this, I took a well deserved rest at a hotel outside the city, and found some much needed moisturiser for my poor feet.
The last part of my pilgrimage came the next morning, with a final 4km walk to the cathedral, and to receive my certificate!
Santiago de Compostela
The outside of the city is modern and industrial, with many neighbourhoods as you would expect. The exciting part is when you arrive in the old part of the city. There are many small plazas, arch covered walkways and historic buildings. I began to see the towers of the cathedral from quite far out, and as I approached it, the streets became more winding and maze like. The closer I got to the cathedral, the more pilgrims I saw, from all over the world, and with all the different gear on their backs or bikes. No one arriving on horseback though!
A large plaza faces the breathtaking cathedral, with three other historic buildings, one of which is a very pricey hotel. I was lucky to arrive when it was not raining, and we were all angling for the best shots. After admiring the outside decoration for a while, I made my way to the Pilgrim’s Mass.
All in spanish, the mass was difficult to follow, but the vibe was still nice, and unexpectedly they swung the Botafumeiro (big incense burner) across the cathedral transcepts, which is a well recognised symbol of the church.
After mass, I spent some time admiring the cathedral, and went a little crazy buying souvenirs. I then wondered around a little and came across another christian building that seemed to be quite intriguing. The monastery of San Martín Pinario, now partially used for a hotel, school, and museum. The main church is actually magnificent! Possibly more impressive in artwork than even the cathedral.
The choir sits behind the main altar, which is unusual, and so you can actually go to the back of the main altarpiece, and admire some amazing fine carpentry. You can also go upstairs and view the church from the galleries where a second choir resides! This was a lovely surprise. There is also an opportunity to look directly at the dome ceiling art. The museum also had some good pieces to admire, and this large attraction was only a few euros.
That night I met up with my new friend from Switzerland for our celebratory dinner, and we toasted to our success in making it to the end. He had arrived a few days before me, and told me where he had been shopping for new clothes. Now that I had walked into the city in literally rags, I decided I needed to prioritise a bit of shopping.
I took a bus from Praza Galicia for only €1 out to a big shopping mall, and spent a long while tracking down the right pair of jeans.. 😍 I don’t know why the Spanish only sell skinny jeans?! I have now walked 828km and these thighs still cannot fit in them! In the end I found some ‘mum style’ ones, a bit embarrassing but oh well. It is good to be back in denim.
After my shopping spree, I decided to make a visit to the Museum of Pilgrimage. This museum is four floors and pilgrims can enter for free. 👍The museum holds a mix of photographic exhibitions, historic artefacts, and paintings. The collections explain the origin of the Camino de Santiago (way of St James), who James was, and how his tomb was discovered in Santiago. The museum also explains how the pilgrimage route has become more popular over the centuries and many pilgrims’ experiences. The other pilgrimages from around the world and different religions are also discussed.
This was very inspiring to me, and I was glad to see that the reasons I chose to walk the journey were echoed by others.
Something else not to be missed at the museum, is going to the top floor. Here, I found up close views of the cathedral towers.
The final thing I did before I went to bed, was visit the cafe casino, opposite my hotel for a little cheesecake. This is a gorgeous building that is now a swanky cafe and even has a grand piano being played, to really make you feel at peace.
Overall, the Camino de Santiago has been a very unique experience. It has been a great opportunity to travel slowly, and see beautiful landscapes, as well as small villages and towns, that you would not likely stop in, if you were travelling to your destination directly. The people I have met, and culture and traditions experienced can never be replaced. I had said that I could never walk so far again, but the more I think about it, the more I think I could be convinced…
I spent a morning in Oviedo whilst I was travelling the Camino de Santiago. The city is the main city of Asturias and the starting point of Camino Primitivo.
This great city has a romantic charm to it, and boasts of its connections to the origin of the Camino de Santiago. This is because the first pilgrim to make the journey to see St James’ tomb was King Alfonso II ‘the Chaste’, in 834, he set off from Oviedo. This is also why the Primitivo route that begins here is thought to be the original route.
The city has all the shops and restaurants you could need, as well as some very pretty plazas, and hundreds of sculptures and other works of art. I particularly liked one of a lady sitting on a bench in Plaza el Fontán called ‘La bella Lola’. She is just looking out on the plaza and seems to be just letting her mind wonder. It made me think of how I must look so often on this journey.
I also visited San Francisco park, which boasted of further sculptures including a famous Argentinian cartoon character called ‘Mufalda’. The park is a former convent garden, and has a number of features to explore. I was most surprised to see the date of my visit cut in grass at the edge of the park, I guess someone must cut the new date and change it every day!
The Pilgrim’s Cathedral
Oviedo’s Cathedral, is also known as the Pilgrim’s Cathedral, as it is a ‘must see’ for all peregrinos. There is a saying related to the connection, which promotes the importance of any pilgrim to visit…
“Whoever comes to Santiago and does not come to San Salvador, the Cathedral of Oviedo, visits the servant, but forgets the Lord.”
The cathedral is very large, and holds many beautiful chapels. Pilgrims can enter for a discounted price, and an audio guide is given for free, which is definitely worthwhile, as there is so much to explore.
The biggest draw of the cathedral is the holy chamber. This important area of the cathedral is where many relics from Jerusalem and the holy land were placed by King Alfonso II. This includes soil from the home of the Virgin Mary, a cross thought to be made by two angels, a piece of wood from the cross, and the blood stained cloth that was wrapped over Jesus’ head during his burial. This makes the sanctuary very special and a popular place for people all around the world to visit.
I am really glad that I made the trip to Oviedo, and it was only 5 euros on the bus from Gijon, so there would have been no good reason not to!
I would certainly recommend it as a must visit location in Northern Spain, and I hope to return again when I have more time in the area.
Another week of walking has gone by, and this time the distances were much longer, and the terrain was more varied.
First stop was a stay in Barreda, and a visit to Santillana de Mar. A beautiful town that makes you feel as if you have gone back in time. The streets are cobbled and old stone is all around, they have lots of bars and restaurants, and a tourist information point. Also some museums. I visited the Torture Museum!
The museum was quite interesting but also very gruesome. It also made me wonder what sort of person would acquire a collection like this… The animal masks were particulary weird, apparently it was to silence the speech of women and other lowly folk at the time, and also a symbol of public humiliation.
2km down the road is also the world heritage site, the Caves of Altamira. The caves were discovered in the 1800s and have a collection of pretholific paintings inside, and a system of spaces for different uses. The caves were so popular to visit that they began to become damaged, and had to be closed to the public. Now, only five people per week are selected to visit the original cave. The museum has painstakingly created an exact replica for the general public though.
I visited the replica, it was still underground and very dark but certain areas of importance were highlighted. There were many paintings of animals, that were surprisingly detailed, and a pressed in hand print. This whole experience was a lot better than expected and only cost €4! I was also able to wonder down to the outside of the original caves.
Whilst walking the camino to the next stop in Comillas, the seaside views and sites of farms became very familiar, and I also went hunting for more caves!
Nearby to the path, I had seen on the map that there was a cave in a woodland that had been discovered to have ancient paintings again, and you could have this one all to yourself. La cueva de aguas was about 20-30 minutes off the track, and was very exciting!
In this small cave, deep in the woods, I had to ditch my backpack outside, and crouch to get in. It is completely pitch black, and I could hear the loud sound of water. When i finally got my torch going (I had resisted, as I was afraid of bats), I realised there was water gushing around my feet, and a waterfall running through the cave!
It was really amazing to find, and I could just make out the higher level in the cave, where the cave people would have made home. This cave was on the route of the miners, and another small cave can also be seen on the path, but is inaccessible.
After the excitement of the cave, I had fallen behind schedule, on this very long stretch. I walked as quickly as I could through more roads, woodland, and past a gorgeous beach, trying to get to town before sunset.
I spent the last few hours frantically calling pensions and hotels in town to try to find a room. I kept coming up against the same response, ‘we are closed for winter’. Forty minutes walk away, and already night time by now, I sat in a bus shelter, and seriously considered sleeping there. It looked like quite a well built shelter, but I didn’t like the idea of being 40 minutes behind on tomorrow’s walk. In a final attempt, I phoned a golf club in the town, and managed to rent a 3 bedroom apartment for one night, for 85 euros. So with no food, and sore feet, I dragged myself there and managed to get a bed for the night. Bright side – it had a washing machine!
The next day, I left late, got my stamp from the tourism office, and headed out for a shorter walk to San Vincente. The day began with a lot of rain, and going uphill. After the stressful night before, and being hammered by rain, my will power was running low. Then all of a sudden, I was at a beautiful nature reserve, the sky cleared, and a rainbow appeared, and everything was better again.
San Vincente was a big town with a beautiful old church on the hill, (that used to serve as a hospital for pilgrims), a castle, and then a pleasant restaurant and bar scene below. I met a fellow traveller over dinner, and we talked about our trips and exchanged stories. It was great to have a good conversation, it had been a few days, since I had spoken to anyone.
Next, I crossed the river into Asturias region, the third of four in the walk. I could immediately see the differences in the area from Cantabria. Many of the buildings were brightly coloured and beatifully built in the 1800s. They were built by ‘indianos’, spanish people that went to South America, made their fortune, then returned and built beautiful lavish homes for themselves.
I stayed in Llanes for the night, in the train station albergue, and the influence was clear here. It also had a gorgeous ancient quarter of the town, as well as a port once famous for whaling. There are quite a few shops here but it is on the pricey side.
Next day, was the 20 mile hike to Ribadesella. The day before I had to cut my walk short, as my foot was so sore it had started bleeding. I was worried about making the hike but feeling determined.
The walk was very varied, with the Picos de Europa mountain range on the left and beaches to the right, woodlands and farmland. It was really enjoyable and had amazing scenery. It was only in the final two of eight hours I began to be just dragging myself along to the end!
Ribadesella is another coastal town, with a harbour, and another gorgeous beach. I hiked to the viewpoint and did some sketching, and just chilled. There are some more caves near this area, but on this day I decided to keep them as a mystery. It always gives me a reason to return!
The next walk to Colunga, was still full of beautiful beaches, but also some other things that I have noticed only in Asturias. Gateways with a weird style of layered tiles that I can only assume is decorative, a unique way of pouring cider that has maximum splash impact, (it turns out Asturias is famous for its cider)… and these unstable looking sheds… called horreos or paneras.
They seem to be dotted all along the rural villages. They are all wooden huts, sitting on top of stacked stones. I would be very nervous to go inside these, as they look so wobbly. Traditionally they were used to stock dry grains away from rodents (I have seen rats climb though…) Now, people continue to use them to store firewood, hay, and I even saw some people living in them! Planning permission must be a breeze here… they are everywhere!
Gijon
After a rainy day and night in the pretty town of Villaviciosa, I finally arrived in the city of Gijon. I stayed in a hostel right on the beach.
The city has countless cider houses, and whilst I did not spot a cathedral, it has several churches and a basilica. This was my last opportunity to stock up on supplies before I arrive in Santiago de Compostela in another two weeks or so. I hit the supermarket for more plasters, high protein snacks etc. Hopefully, I will be okay!
With only a day in Gijon, I had to be picky about what to see. Gijon has a set of roman ruins that I was tempted by, but the pull to find out more about those wooden sheds I had seen, was much stronger. So, I walked to the edge of the city, to the Museum of the people of Asturias.
The museum was way better than I expected. For a start, it was free! YAY! I thought that it would be just a few boards with photos and objects, but the museum was actually mostly outside. The biggest part of the site is devoted to the actual traditional buildings of the region. These buildings such as horreos, shepherd refuges, and country houses, have all been actually dismantled from their original location and reassembled at the site. Pretty impressive. You can enter many of the buildings and see how it would have looked. For example, the peasant house has the rooms and fireplace set out as it would have looked, and there is a cider press with huge equipment and barrels in place.
The museum also had temporary exhibitions, and a bagpipes museum! Apparently bagpipes are big in Asturias tradition! As well, as some very odd looking bagpipes, there are a variety of other traditional instruments on show, and details about how they are made.
If you want to make the walk extra worthwhile, the museum is also next to another museum, the football stadium, sports centre and a lovely park.
Overall, I think whilst I am now becoming physically exhausted from all the walking, the Camino continues to prove itself as totally worth it. The walk this past week was colourful and varied, and I really liked Gijon. Time to follow those yellow arrows… see
To mark the end of the first half of the walk, I have made a little video..
In my second week of walking, I have done some of the largest distances so far and had some more rest days. The journey has had more flat terrain than the first week, and lots of walking on roads. It has been closer to the sea though, and very beautiful.
Starting in Portugalete, which is just on the outskirts of Bilbao, I walked along highways and resurfaced walkways along the coastline. There was an option to add an extra 14km to the journey by going into the mountain. I decided against that, as I was still recovering from the previous week’s mountains, and the road had great views. There was pedestrian access on the roads (lines painted on the floor) but I did have to take care, and it is not an option I would have been happy with if it had been a darker day.
Whilst walking the route, I left the Basque Country behind, and entered Cantabria. I kept looking behind me at the scenery, and thinking, I cannot believe I walked all this way so far!
On approach to Castro Urdiales, I went through an old mining area. This offered the very cool experience of being able to walk the old mining track, and go through the tunnels! This cut off loads of extra walking, that google maps would have tried to make me do, as it goes through the mountain rather than over or round. Buen Camino app is awesome!
On the other side of a five minute tunnel was Castro Urdiales. It was beautiful! Apparently, this is where the wealthy people that live in Bilbao, come at the weekends. I can see why!
Cantabria’s first official coastal town, Castro Urdiales has a gorgeous harbour area, two beaches, an impressive church, castle, many lookout points, a spectacular cemetery and a natural swimming pool! I wanted to take a dip, but I was too scared of getting in and slipping over or not being able to get out without a travel buddy. Plus it was about 11’c, and I have no swimming costume…
After leaving Castro Urdiales, I walked for about seven hours to Laredo. The walk had a lot of lovely views of the sea, but was mostly road walking. I met a lovely belgium man that was also walking along my way, so we trekked most of the way together, and split the jug of sangria at the end!
Whilst I was in Laredo, I stayed at the convent of Trinitarian nuns. Whilst it was a very cold stay with no radiators and little hot water, my room was very cute, and I had a lovely view over the town. I also had the room to myself, and was invited to join the mass. The nuns played guitar and sang beautifully during the service! The only thing that was disappointing, was that I didn’t get much one to one time with the nuns. I wanted to ask them about it all, as I have often wondered if I would like to be a nun… 🙂 perhaps I could do interpretive dancing in the band?
Laredo is another gorgeous town, and very big. It takes an hour to walk from one end of the beach, to the other! The old town where the convent is, is picturesque, and I even hiked over it to a viewpoint. (I couldn’t stop hiking!) There is also a harbour here and you can take boat excursions, and I took the water taxi across the bay to Santona to keep walking!
The next day, the walk from Laredo was pretty gruelling. After a five minute boat ride, it was 30km of hard road. There were many villages to move through, and lots of rolling hills with farms.
It was all about me and the animals that day. I saw baby donkeys, goats, horses, cows, chickens, a group of kittens, a very angry little dog, and best of all, a Spanish Imperial Eagle! It started following me for a bit. It was the second bird of prey that has circled above me on this journey. I am starting to think that I might be the prey….
In the final hour of the day, my good knee started hurting, and I had to hobble to my pension in Guemas. A very pretty but small village.
The journey has certainly been taking its toll on my joints, and I am trying to be more clever about my walks and preparation. I have problems with my right leg so have fully strapped up this week. The K tape is really helpful at keeping me balanced.
The last 16km to Santander, I got up early and benefited from some crisp morning views of the village. I then walked to the next village, with my knee still hurting from the day before. I had to make a decision, to stay on the road and shortcut through for a shorter journey, or add 4km and walk up to the cliffs and along the ocean. I was sick of the asphalt by now and everyone has said the views of the sea are great, so I went for the long path.
The path was hilly, but also muddy, which was actually a welcomed relief. I walked past farms, and saw beaches and rocky cliff sides. I also met a man who has walked all the way to Rome on pilgrimage. Very impressive! Eventually, the path led to the town and I wondered onto Somo and caught the twenty minute boat ride to Santander.
Santander
I stayed in the pilgrim hostel whilst in Santander for only 12 euros per night. My experience of the hostel is a story of its own!
I arrived at the hostel which is ran by volunteers, and no one was there. I phoned the number and spoke to a man in broken spanish about how to get in. He said no one would be there until later, but I could pick up the keys at the bar down the street. I went to the bar and explained to the bartender I was looking for keys (in spanish). She understood, (I must be improving). I then let myself in, chose my own bed and went to sleep. Later the volunteer came, checked me in, and told me two more guests should be coming that night. He was leaving though, and I was now in charge of the hostel!
All alone at the hostel
He asked me (in spanish) to check them in on arrival, take their passport details and give them their keys! I couldn’t believe it! And then I was alone again. And there laid an opportunity… I finally had a washing machine and dryer all to myself. First order of business, was to check for cameras, then strip down to naked, and wash everything I have! I sat there in a blanket for two hours, and then I finally had all clean clothes for the first time in a month. Wonderful! 😍
Later, when I was dressed again, the man called and said the guests weren’t coming anymore, and I had the whole hostel of 50 bed spaces, to myself! Crazy!
Anyway… back to the actual city. Santander is the capital of Cantabria, and is a coastal city. It has a port which includes bringing visitors over on ferry from Plymouth, it also has a few beaches, a palace, and lots of hills covered in shops, plazas and restaurants.
My rest day in Santander was a rainy one so I decided to stay in the busiest part of the city, close to the hostel. I stocked up more supplies, mainly medical ones, but also some nuts and fruit from the Mercado de Esperanza (market of hope). I got quite a lot of nuts and dried fruit for two euros. I always love to visit the local markets. It seems there are a few different ones in Santander. Another is the Mercado de Este (east market), this has a tourist information point, and lots of little artisan stalls and bars.
Interestingly, below the market is probably one of the best museums that I have ever visited, the Musuem of prehistoric and archeology of Cantabria. This underground museum is reasonably small, but packed with archeological finds from the region. Including human and animal skulls, ancient tools, artwork, and pottery.
I know that can all sound a little boring on its own, but this museum absolutely brings it to life. They have structured the rooms to make you feel as if you are in a cave network, created visual, audible, and touch displays. They have lots of information in different languages, and really make you interact with the exhibits, I thought it was brilliant! And only €4! 😀
My personal favourite was the museum’s use of tech to turn actual skulls into real faces!
After this, I wondered over to the cathedral. It seemed that I had arrived, and I went through a door, but I was in a smaller church. It turned out that I had wondered into the Iglesia del Santismo Cristo. This church is actually underneath the cathedral itself. It has a warm atmosphere, beautiful arches, and two severed heads! These are relics of roman soldiers that were martyrs. Before I knew it, the door was shut behind me and I was in the mass. I just sat down and enjoyed it.
When it was over, I exited the church, climbed further up and found the official cathedral above where I had been. The cathedral interior is quite simple in comparison, and full of charming, light gothic architecture.
After all that, I returned to my lonely hostel, had a sandwich and took a nice long siesta, before heading out for dinner, and to enjoy some live music.
Overall, I think the jury is still out for me on Santander, because I wasn’t able to explore the beaches and palace, and I think the city probably has more of a rounded package in Summer. I did like the city though, and the museum really was a highlight.
I have walked a third of the Camino del Norte now, and my next and last city before Santiago de Conpostela is one week away. I hope my body can keep going! 🤞
Go Go Chlo 