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…
After two months walking Camino del Norte through all sorts of weather and terrain, these are my top tips.
1. Walking poles
Lots of people walk without trekking poles, and it is a personal preference. For me, after so many consistent days of walking, I don’t think I could have finished without them. They take the pressure off your legs, offer you something to lean on when there is no dry seat, allow you to test the depth of mud, catch you when you fall, and make good weapons if you need them!
2. Getting used to bread and ham
Always keep a little bread and some snacks in your backpack. There are many stretches without services, and the walking schedule does not match the spanish eating schedule. Supermarkets close on Sundays and many restaurants are shut on mondays. Restaurants will not serve meals until their meal times (3pm and 8pm). The only thing you will get is a ham sandwich. Get ready to get sick of ham real fast!
3. Energy drink powder
I never used to use energy drinks or add anything to my water before the camino. I decided to buy some on the way and start using some strawberry flavoured powder. I ended up really being able to tell the difference between days I had it, and when I didn’t. It also helps to supplement the lack of access to meals as I mentioned above.
4. Sending your backpack on
Correos, Spain’s postal service, offer a backpack transport service for pilgrims. This runs all year on the french way but only up to the end of October on other routes. I used it for my first three days and final two days. If you can do it, I would recommend doing it for the beginning at least, so you can gradually get used to the trek. Especially, if doing the North route, with lots of mountain climbing at the start! The service is really good, and cheap!
5. Download the Buen Camino app
I used the Buen Camino app every few hours. It was really a great tool. The app has an up to date map, with the official route and alternative paths and shortcuts. Also, up to date information about issues on the route, attractions and accommodation. I cannot recommend it enough.
6. Bring a portable charger
My phone is a little on the old side, but regardless, bringing a portable charger is a really good idea. You are likely to be without a plug outlet for up to 10 hours at a time on some days, whilst draining your phone with music, photos and apps. This helped me out a bunch of times.
7. K-Tape
I used K-tape on my sore muscles for the first few weeks. It really helped me to feel better, and prevent hiker’s knee. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to apply it.
8. Paper tourist map
When in a city or large town for more than a day, it can be a good idea to get a paper map from the tourist office. This is a prevention method like the portable charger. When all your devices fail you after a long day out sightseeing, you will still be able to find your way back to your bed. Plus they are fun!
9. Plastic bags and newspaper
If you are walking during a wet time of the year, although you can still expect rain at some point, have plastic bags and newspaper handy. I have now learnt that there is no such thing as a waterproof shoe. No shoe can stand up against the rain of the autumn/winter camino. Putting plastic bags around your feet is a temporary prevention that helps. To dry your shoes overnight, stuff them with newspaper balls, this sucks out the water.
10. Have small change
Spain has not yet become a cashless society. Do not kid yourself that you will be able to wonder around with only ‘contactless’. Many shops, cafes and albergues will not accept card payments, and will be moody if you give them big notes. Many of the washing machines and dryers are also coin operated, so you will need to keep some coins handy if you want to wash your two outfits!
11. Check your check in times and leave early in the morning
Many accommodation providers have random check in and check out times, and if you turn up late they will not let you in! There is also likely to be situations where you have to phone the reception from a locked door outside, as many do not man the receptions full time. Additionally, I would recommend leaving early in the morning. You never know how long a walk is really going to take, and you want to maximise daylight hours, and rest time in the evening.
12. Take lots of short breaks and dont sit for long
I tried to sit for about five minutes roughly every two hours and up to 30 minutes for lunch half way through. If you sit too often or for too long, it will just keep getting harder to get up and going again!
13. Don’t think too far ahead
Don’t think about how far away it is to Santiago, or even the town you are trying to get to at the end of each day. It is too overwhelming, and frankly discouraging. It is better to think of lots of short distances whilst walking, for example the next town or landmark. Then when you have done that, you look at how far to the next one. It makes each one, a little win.
14. Accept that there is a good chance that you will need to take public transport sometimes.
You may well do the camino entirely walking, but don’t beat yourself up if one day you just have to take the bus. There will be days when you just have nothing in the tank, or the weather is too dangerous to walk, or you might have an injury.
15. Don’t forget to stretch and take your ibuprofen!
Pretty self explanatory, but I forgot to stretch often, and it makes a difference. I also really needed ibuprofen by the end!
Last week I spent five days walking the Camino del Norte to Bilbao. The route is full of tough terrain, with mountains and slippery paths throughout. Like my journey… this blog is a long one. Prepare yourself.
Me taking a well earned rest after coming over Mount Avril and finally seeing Bilbao
Basque Country
The area of Spain that this walk goes through is in the Basque region. This historic area sits next to the french border, but has its own culture independent of France and Spain. The people in the basque country are very proud of their heritage. This is made clear through frequent displays of their local flag and colours, multiple museums and exhibitions about basque tradition, and many graffiti pieces asking for independence for the basque people.
The basque people have their own language, which is nothing like spanish or french, it actually predates them. It has lots of Zs, Ks, and Xs, and I can not pronounce any of it.
Many people seem to farm local produce, and animals seem to be a key part of the culture. Everywhere I went on my walk, I was never far from a donkey, goat or horse. This links quite nicely with the area’s great reputation for food.
The basque have their own style of cuisine, and especially well known are pintxos. These are small snacks (the size of canopes), available in bars most of the day. This is useful to know, as you cannot access a main meal during siesta time. The basque clearly love their food. I went to one bar and asked for a menu for some quick lunch, and they just began to bring me out huge dishes one after another… bean/sausage stew… bread… gammon and potatoes… bread…. fruity pudding… fruit. I had to look up the spanish for ‘please stop, I am full’. The chef looked disappointed in me!
The mountain trails
There are so many mountains in this area, and I was really grateful for my walking sticks to help get up them. The paths are a mix of road, track and uneven rocky slopes. The scenery is gorgeous, with lots of screensaver worthy backdrops, and pretty streams and waterfalls. Many mountains have villages (as in three houses), at the top, and small towns in the bottom of the valleys.
I think it is really important to take it slow during the ascents and descents. It is not worth rushing, and hurting yourself by losing your footing or pulling your knee. I started to get a ‘hiker’s knee’ after a few days, and strapped my leg up with K-tape. This really helped, but lots of breaks are also essential.
5 day old strapped up knee
When heading over a mountain before Lezama I actually met a local lady, who was selling snacks to passing pilgrims from her driveway. For a euro, she gave me mandarins, and a slice of chocolate swiss roll. She also let me sit on her porch and enjoy the views whilst we chatted in Spanish. I really enjoyed this little interaction. The only negative was that she got me excited and told me my destination was only 3km away on flat terrain… it was 8km and not flat at all. I was cursing her a little on my ascent for misleading me! I am past it now though, and all is forgiven.
Mountain maths is very confusing! There were many occasions when I thought I was nearly there but I was not… For example, on one day, the map said I was 4km from my accommodation. I thought, ‘great, I can walk 5km per hour, less than an hour to go’. Nope… it was 2.5 hours walk away, but only 15 minutes by car. I was pissed… and confused. My calculations were not taking into account, the elevation, and terrain. It was 4km, but on the other side of the mountain. Cars could drive through a tunnel going though the mountain. This makes calculating the duration of your walk, really hard. I generally have added at least an hour to each estimate I make.
Forests of autumn colours
The forests I wondered through, were really beautiful because of all the colours. I much prefer the forest floor underfoot (more dry and bouncy, plus kicking big orange leaves is fun!) It was really tranquil and there was the odd shack which I imagine a few pilgrims have made camp in. I have met quite a few people who are camping even in the wet November weather. A highlight for me was seeing a group of vultures flying really close to me on the trail. They probably thought I would be easy pickings!
It hasnt all been sweetness and light…
The rain in the last few days to Bilbao was relentless. The poncho has been out but it is a pain because you need help to put it over your backpack.
The rain has made my socks wet.. equalling blisters. I was managing to avoid them until my shoes started getting too wet.
Some paths are so uneven, that they take ages to navigate carefully. They are also really slippery.
Toilets and other facilities can be very far away at times. This is a positive and a negative, because it is nice to feel in a remote location, but it does lead to wees in the woods. Tricky to do when you have a huge backpack on. Keep leaning forward ladies!
Special highlights on the walk
Seeing the flysch
When I got to Zumaia, I decided to follow a different track for a little bit. I did this so that I could see a special rock formation in the cliffs there called ‘flysch’. It is a type of erosion that creates straight lines in the rocks. Very strange, but cool!
The downside was that to rejoin my path, I had to walk up the cliffside. After lots of rain, it was basically a mudslide, and very scary. I had to be really careful, and it took ages. I would probably not recommend doing this if it has been raining a lot.
Monastery and day of the dead
On part of the trail, you pass through a beautiful monastery. Pilgrims can actually sleep here with the monks for a donation. I didn’t sleep here, but I did take the mass which was lovely and rejuvenating.
I happened to be passing on the day of the dead or all saints day. This is the day after halloween. Whilst some spaniards are starting to trick or treat and do the american halloween, it is mostly not done in Spain. They do celebrate the life of their loved ones though. Many people bring flowers and other offerings to the graves of their loved ones, and the day is a bank holiday.
This did make finding food a bit tricky, as most places were shut. I spent my day eating buttered bread from my backpack.
Guernika
Guernika is a town on the walk that is full of character and clearly proud of the basque culture. It has quite a few monuments related to well known basque figures from history, and two museums. I would have liked to spend another night here, but I had to move on to the next section of the walk. Apparently this town is a stop on many guided tours from Bilbao though, if you want the highlight reel on a quick trip.
Bilbao
Reaching Bilbao was a great milestone for me. I felt soggy and more tired than I was before the walk, but also stronger and more confident. Bilbao is a huge city, with a lot to see but I only had two nights, and the first night, I basically went into a coma.
It poured during my whole visit, but determined, I stuck some carrier bags in my shoes and went out to explore.
Guggenheim museum
The Guggenheim is a landmark attraction for Bilbao, and is what most people think of when they imagine the city. The museum is for contemporary art, and the architecture of the building itself is unique. It is located on the riverside, a little past the centre.
I am not very big on contemporary art, I prefer traditional portrait paintings, but once I reached the museum to see the outside, I was soaked. I wanted to dry off, and I was also curious, so I wondered in, squelching as I went.
The cost for the museum was €15, which I thought was pretty steep, more than I have paid for most attractions on my journey so far.
The building is spectacularly designed, and the rooms inside are huge, with thankfully lots of places to sit. I think the art was lost on me though. I had no idea what I was looking at most of the time. At one point, I saw a canvas that was almost completely black, and thought ‘this seems like easy money’. These thoughts were even more solidified when I saw a big piece of paper that I think had been folded into a paper aeroplane and unfolded again, so now just flattened creases…
I am probably not a good judge of these works to be fair, and there were plenty of people taking their time to look and discuss what they saw. There were two pieces I liked. One of what looked like a mushroom that was coming out of the canvas. That was cool.
One of the reasons that I walked up to the museum in the first place, was to see a giant puppy made of flowers. I was wondering around for 30 minutes following my google maps to try and find it. Getting more and more annoyed as it was raining, and I was confused. I finally realised that the puppy was covered in scaffolding and I had been circling it. Apparently they were swapping out the flowers, so I guess it is wrapped up often, which is a shame.
Casco Viejo (Old Town)
The old town in Bilbao is home to many narrow streets, and the cathedral dedicated to Santiago (St James). Due to this, it turned out that it was free admission for pilgrims 😀 I still paid €2 for an audio guide, which was useful to explain the artwork and architecture. The building is basque gothic, and has three naves which is unusual to me.
I also visited the basilica of Burgos which is on top of the hill up literally hundreds of steps… I walked to the top of these in the rain, then I saw the elevator…🥵😤
I really liked the style in the basilica, and the atmosphere was really calm. I would recommend a visit, on your way into Bilbao, (to avoid going up the steps).
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
I decided that on the last morning of my stay in Bilbao, I would take a bus (for only €2.50 each way) to Bakio, and walk the steep 30 minute trek to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. This is unique location, as an island off the coast connected by a stone bridge, and topped with a hermitage building. It is also ‘Dragonstone’ from Game of Thrones. Another one off my GoT list! ✅✅✅
The past week has been tough. I have walked through about 26 villages and towns and walked over at least six mountains with over 10kg on my back. The views have been amazing though and I can feel myself getting stronger! Physically, and mentally.
Now I just need to decide if I should keep walking or take a few more days off. The weather will get wetter and colder, but I am due for some days of flat terrain, which should be a welcome relief. What do you think?
Last week was my second visit to Madrid, and so I had already done most of the tourist stuff. I just checked off a few quirky bits off the list. So here is a fast run through…
A visit to Círculo de Bellas Artes
I made my way to this not for profit arts venue to have brunch in their beautiful cafe. The cafe has a sculpture of a naked woman lying dead on the ground in the centre or the dining room. This lady is supposed to be Aphrodite, when after being left heartbroken from unrequited love, she throws herself off a cliff to her death. I thought it seemed quite poetic and dramatic of course. There are other sculptures in the room and lovely ceiling paintings.
The venue also offer a scenic rooftop lookout point, and regular exhibitions.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
I visited this art museum as one that I have not been to before. Not all the art was for me, but I did like the below piece about Expulsion. The light and shadows in the painting are done really well, and it reminds me of a scene from Lord of the Rings.. ha!
Mass at Inglesia de Santiago
I travelled to the Santiago church three times in one day to try to get hold of my special pilgrim passport, from their volunteers. After I eventually got it done and stamped, I was there just in time for the mass and so decided to join in. I didn’t understand most of what the vicar said (in spanish) but I still felt cleansed and grateful.
A meal at Botin
I had seen the ‘world’s oldest restaurant’, Botin, from the outside in my last visit to Madrid. To get a table there though, you need to book a few weeks in advance. I was having a stressful day (going shopping 😖) and was walking past so decided to ask if I could come in for a drink as I am alone. I had no booking and I thought it might be a waste of time, but not only did they let me in because I was solo, they let me have a full meal! Huge result!
I had half a jug of sangria and a plate of mushrooms, garlic and ham, and was completely cheered up again! I also had the pleasant surprise of befriending two lovely ladies from Denmark on the next table. We were chatting and toasting for my whole dining experience, so I wasn’t solo after all!
As usual, Madrid was very pleasant, and I experienced much more of the local nightlife and culture this time round. I will probably go back again and again in the future.
After an excellent and short train journey from Seville, I arrived in Cordoba. Once the Capital of Islamic Spain, this city is a beautiful mix of styles and culture.
I arrived in the evening and enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the city as it was filled with people bustling to shops and restaurants under the sunset sky. The city actually reminded me a lot of Pisa, the sort of place that is usually seen as a day trip, and is quite suburban, but actually has a lot to offer.
I had a wonder around the city outskirts, and came back around along the riverside. The city’s river is its focal point, and most of the historic area is by the riverside.
The river is also home to the beautiful Roman bridge, which happens to be another Game of Thrones location! It was actually used with CGI to create the bridge to ‘Volaris’, still counts though. Another one off the list. ✅✅✅
Me at roman bridge in Cordoba, another GoT location.
The buildings around the city are also very pretty, and often you can spot silversmiths, leather workshops and tile shops. These have been the ancient crafts of this town for quite sometime, and still are now. If I could carry a tile in my backpack, I would have got one to stick somewhere at home.
The town also boasted an unusual amount of ice cream and cake restaurants. I was struggling at one point to find regular food! I did enjoy my ice cream milkshakes though, as temperature was still around 30’c.
Mesquita Cathedral
The Mesquita (meaning mosque) is what most people visit Cordoba to see. You can see why when you visit. I was excited to see the building but it truly left me speechless, (well other than repeatedly saying ‘WOW!’)
The site was originally home to a roman temple, but later the foundations were used to build a mosque,when Spain was under muslim rule. When the catholics conquered the area, the mosque became a cathedral. The original mineret tower was wrapped around with a christian structure, and much of the mosque internally was maintained as it was so remarkably beautiful. The christians did do three extensions to the building over the time though. This included getting permission from the King to build a traditional catholic chapel inside. Whilst pretty, most people agree that it is very out of place within this beautiful mosque.
Within the mosque, the builders actually reduced costs by recycling columns and pedestals from the previous roman temple, which makes each one unique. The craftsman that provided some of their columns also left their trademark logo and signature on their pieces provided, which can still be seen. I love a bit of ancient graffiti!
I had a guided tour during my visit which was very helpful. The guide provided a lot of detail about the history and showed us what to look for. The entrance area / plaza is actually available for anyone to visit for free. It is only the inside of the temple that is ticketed, and this is limited and to restricted hours.
My tour also included a tour of the jewish quarter and a former synagogue. These are free to see generally. The jewish apparently moved into the centre of the city after the muslims were expelled for a period.
Alcazar Gardens
In my short visit to the city, I also decided to book a visit to the Alcazar there. You must have a reserved time slot, and the website is abit tricky, but just persevere with it! It is only five euros and worthwhile. The Alcazar building itself was quite small and hollowed out, but I went for the gardens. They were lovely…
Full of fountains, flowers, sculptures and impressive topiary, I parked myself on a bench, and sketched the scene in the sunshine for an hour.
Before I knew it, time was up and I had to head to the bus station. Cordoba should definitely be on your list to visit. There is so much culture here, and it has a very friendly feel.
Last week, I travelled to the capital of Spain with the aim of having a relaxing week away with my partner and put the nine months of Spanish lessons i have had into practise. The holiday in the end was quite different to what I expected.
After some very difficult months, I packed my bag and was on my way to my budget flight to Madrid, crossing my fingers and toes that the flight wouldn’t be delayed and the infamous airline wouldn’t take my cabin bag from me. Thankfully the flight was okay but I did realise that I had forgotten probably the third most important item on this holiday… the Spanish dictionary and phrasebook! What a plonker! Well now I knew that the holiday would be somewhat more challenging…
We decided to take the Metro into Madrid from the airport, which would have been fine if I had done any sort of research previous to the holiday, but instead we got to the platform and realised we had no idea where we were going. Embarrassing for me really. Eventually we realised what we needed to do but the ticket options weren’t great, we ended up opting for the 10 trip ticket + airport travel but in hindsight this was a bit of a waste because we walked almost everywhere and returned to the UK with four unused journeys. Never mind! But a tip for those of you thinking about a visit, just get the airport ticket, because your 10 trips don’t count towards your journey back to the airport and you may find yourself having to pay extra to get back through the security gates… (Not that I’m talking from experience or anything *cough* cough*)
On arrival to the address of our apartment, (another AirBnB bargain) we had to enter a local hair salon to get the keys, and the apartment owner did not speak a word of English. But thankfully! I remembered the word for keys! LLAVES! Remember that one, you never know when you might need it. So after a lot of challenging conversation and frantic hand gestures, we made it into the apartment which was in the centre of Madrid, and a great price at £49 per night, although was missing some essentials.. like toilet paper. But just a minor thing!
Next on the list was to plan our visits to attractions and local hot spots for the week, of course I was trying to relax so managed to narrow this down to only about three locations per day, not bad I’d say. We were on a serious budget, but there is a surprising amount to do for free in Madrid, even some of the top ranking attractions.
We headed out to fill our apartment with those must have essentials at the local supermercado, and then hit the Mercado de San Miguel, a classy market full of local cuisine for the all important Tapas ingredients. This market is one of many in Madrid devoted to stalls of Ham, Olives, Fruit & Veg and lots of seafood.
Parks
It was boiling hot when we were there and so we wanted to take advantage by strolling in the local parks, we spent a full six hours within the El Retiro Parque in the East of the city. This popular park is full of attractions to enjoy.
Lake at Retiro Park
Lake at Retiro Park
Lake at Retiro Park
Lake at Retiro Park, Madrid
There is a lake which you can sail around and a beautiful monument alongside it with strange figures of mermaid like women riding various animals. There is also a few gorgeous buildings, one is a glasshouse with a pond in front of it filled with turtles.
Hidden away on one end of the park is also a peacock park where you can spot the birds hiding in every corner and formal hedge lines and fountains.
Peacock Park in Retiro Park
My favourite part of the park though is the Rosaleda or Rose Garden, which is very pretty, full of fountains and neatly trimmed rose bushes. Very beautiful.
Me at Rosaleda at Retiro
Retiro park – rosaleda
Me at Rosaleda at Retiro
There are so many other parks and gardens in the city to relax in as well, they all seemed to be taken well care of, and are clean and tidy.
One of the other reasons we spent so long in the Retiro park was because it was close by to the Prado art museum which is worth a visit. The museum is free during the week between 6pm and 8pm and we waited outside ready to go in, but turned our back for a moment and there was a queue of hundreds of people that had been formed. It would have taken an hour so we decided to give up and come back another day and pay, which was worth while because we ended up getting buy one get one free! The museum was full of paintings and sculptures, including some really brilliant work showing examples of heaven and hell and the artist’s perceptions of those journeys.
Palacio Real
The palace is also a lovely monument to view, we didn’t pay to go in, as the queue was quite long and we didn’t feel like it but the outside was pretty and it is right next door to the Cathedral. The Cathedral has great colours everywhere and a variety of chapels.
Evenings
In the evening, the city becomes very vibrant with street performers in all the large plazas, and the Spaniards have their late night dinners and high street shopping trips. One of the nights we stayed in Madrid we booked to enjoy a tapas dinner with a show in one of the many tablaos.
We chose to visit Torres Bermejas because of the wonderful decor replicating the interior of the Bermejas Towers of the Alhambra in Granada , which has a great Arabic feel to it. We watched an hour (with a break in the middle) of Spanish Flamenco dancing, singing and guitar playing, which was excellent. You could watch the show and just have drinks for about 30 Euros, but add another 25 Euros and you will get your dinner thrown in, ( a tapas that is, of course). The food was lovely as well, so generally a splendid night of entertainment and food.
There are also a few good view points to oversee the city; the Temple of Debod which is a park with ancient Egyptian monuments as well as the tower, Faro de Moncloa, which is a little towards the outside of the city but cheap to do – only three Euros. The downside of this attraction is that it has no facilities other than a vending machine so make sure you get some food on the way from one of the many restaurants alongside the Oeste Park next door.
An overview of the city
One of the other great things to do, to get a real feel for the city is to take a tour of Madrid. We spent some time considering whether we should do a bus tour or a walking tour but after looking at reviews and considering costs, decided to go for a walking tour. We took a free city tour with a gent named Miguel, which gave us a great overview of the city and its history and allowed us to discover a number of streets, alleys and landmarks that we would have never noticed on our own. For example did you know Madrid hosts the world’s oldest restaurant? Or that in many of the convents you can go and buy freshly baked cookies from the local nuns?!
I never knew until we had the tour that we had been walking around a city with such a mixture of origins. I had been passing through streets of Austrian, African, French and Roman influences. Much of the city is also influenced by the different religions and cultures that came with these countries.
We heard that the origin of the Flamenco music and dance that we had enjoyed a few nights before was an outcome of the oppression in Madrid and the persecution of Gypsies, Jewish and Muslim people within Spain during various invasions. It remained very dominant in Andalusia in the South of Spain where much of the original African migrants were dominant. We plan to see a bit more of the Flamenco art during our stay there next Summer.
Unfortunately, we took the tour at the end of the week but it would have been much more useful to go at the beginning. That’s what we get for being indecisive!
In general, it was a pretty nice place to visit, with lots of places to see cheaply, and the culture was really interesting. Word to the wise though, many of the people living and working here do not speak English, so don’t assume that you’ll get by because your a tourist going to tourist places. Remember your phrasebook! I think my boyfriend is pretty thankful that I knew enough Spanish to ask for food and beer, shame I still haven’t mastered understanding the responses back though.
My partner and I decided to visit Bath in Somerset on our way from Norwich to Pembrokeshire in Wales. This was a great place to stop as it was a nice half way point to break the journey up and had lots to keep us busy during our one night stay. I hadn’t realised until arriving that Bath is actually the only place in England with hot springs and just how important it was to this city’s initial existence.
The Roman Baths
Of course we visited the historic Roman Baths that Bath is famous for. The visitor attraction was well laid out taking you through different parts of the building and the museum before you arrived outside by the main bath. Self guided audio equipment was available to use and there were regular free guided tours to enjoy that gave some insight into the history. It turns out that the springs in Bath were first discovered as warm bubbling mud by the Celts who thought it was a gift from the goddess Sulis. Later when the Romans came along they recognised the water with the god Minerva, but not to upset the locals, they kept the Celt name, and the area became known as Aquae Sulis, “the waters of Sulis”.
The tour was brilliant and explained to us all the strange beliefs that the Romans had which the baths played a key part in. For example 130 metal tablets were found at the bottom of the baths which Romans visiting the bath had written on and thrown in, in an attempt to curse people they didn’t like, mainly people that had stolen their clothes. We were also able to handle replicas of the sort of tools servants would use to shave and clean the visitors to the baths and the process in which people came in and used the facilities.
The baths were lost for a number of years when they fell into disrepair, however they were rediscovered by the Victorians whom rejuvenated them. This is evident in the baths when visiting, the only original remains is the building work from the knee down, above that is Victorian & Georgian additions, which were put in place to replicate the original Roman layout.
Overall the museum and attraction experience were top notch, we even got to try a taste of the water at the end… although I was not a fan of the taste, it was a nice touch!
Mask
Part of statue
Curse tablet
Thermae Bath Spa
Previous to visiting the town, we had read that going to the Thermae Bath Spa to bathe in the spring waters was a must, so I was really excited to do this. The Spa experience was expensive though and difficult to decide on, because you are given an option of either paying for the single small Georgian bath to bathe in, or the more expensive package of all the modern other baths, wellness suite and rooftop bath, but this excludes the Georgian bath. So already before going in you have to decide if you want the historical atmosphere or the relaxation factor.
We went for the more expensive package to get more out of our ticket and see more of the attraction, in hindsight though I think this might have been the wrong choice. Whilst the facilities were good inside, and quite clean (which is a very important factor in a public bath), I did find the experience to be quite underwhelming and overpriced. The main bath indoors just had the feel of a leisure center pool, and the rooftop pool had uninspiring views and crowds of people inside it. The wellness suite was somewhat interesting but each room was quite less than you expected, except for the Roman steam room which was quite good because it had just SO much steam and felt slightly more authentic and themed than the rest of the spa.
For the price we paid, I had hoped to be amazed by the spa but if you weren’t reading signs that said you were in the spring water, you wouldn’t even know you were in a Bath spa, rather than any other spa in the country. Having spent time abroad at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and at Turkish and Roman spas elsewhere, it was quite disappointing.
Bath Abbey & Georgian Architecture
All around the town of Bath is Georgian architecture and the matching Bath stone. This includes at the Bath Abbey which was beautifully designed with huge and detailed stained glassed windows. The building was unusually covered throughout with wall and floor memorials, many more than you would normally see in a church or cathedral of this size. We were very lucky to witness the choir whilst visiting as well giving us a great atmospheric visit, and whilst inside we could hear the hymns, stepping outside was a square full of musical busking.
Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
The town center has plenty to offer shoppers with a variety of local independent and chain stores, as well as street traders and entertainment. We really enjoyed looking around and seeing what was on offer, including having a delicious dinner at the Aqua restaurant. We read the great reviews for the restaurant and decided to see if they could squeeze us in. We managed to get a table and had a lovely evening. The restaurant was set out to match the bath theme with blue mosaics and was set in a former church so immediately got a ‘big tick’ from me. We had a great waiter that offered us a selection of Italian cuisine. I had the Linguine Gamberoni & my partner had Pork Cheeks, both meals were amazing. I would highly recommend the restaurant for a bit of fine dining.
bath
bath
In general, we really enjoyed Bath and I would be happy to stay there again on my next trip to the West side of the country. It has great history, shopping and lots of outside places to enjoy.
On my recent visit to Surrey, I had a delicious meal at the historic village pub, Kingswood Arms.
This century old pub and conservatory restaurant is a delightful place to enjoy a nice drink, a meal or even a summer BBQ!
We decided to visit the Kingswood Arms for both a lunchtime drink and an evening meal. The service proved to be excellent, and the food was even better…
Cheeseburger – Kingswood Arms
Banana Crepe – Kingswood Arms
Cheesecake – Kingswood Arms
Full rack of ribs – Kingswood Arms
We enjoyed a full rack of ribs and a cheeseburger and it was absolutely amazing! All clearly handmade and quality, and locally sourced. Whilst the restaurant was somewhat pricey, it was good value and a really enjoyable atmosphere.
This was clearly a venue for both the older generation and young families, as the inside was filled with fine dining and class, whilst the back garden was full of families, BBQ and a bouncy castle.
The Roman Baths
Go Go Chlo 