Fifty great memories from The Camino

Sinin’s bar, La Torre, in a God forsaken village (Reliegos, León). A balm for my heart, cracking jokes while I iced my shin, charged my phone, and ate a delicious bocadillo de bonito while Duke Ellington blared on the speakers.

Some graffiti at La Torre

Sinin’s great bar La Torre
Feeling bunches of grapes, their sensual weight, in the Rioja region.
Miles and miles of luscious (but green) grapes
Speaking of the Rioja, crossing the Ebro River (the biggest river in Spain) on the old stone bridge.
Puente de Piedra, Logroño
Swimming and having lunch at the refreshing public swimming pool at Zubiri.
The refreshing public pool in Zubiri
Lunch at the Universidad de Navarra, when I had just gone in to get my stamp.
Universidad de Navarra, great for lunch and a stamp!!
Freezing in Burgos.
The Pilgrim’s Mass in Burgos.
The smell of fig trees.
Baby figs!
The chapel of Nuestra Señora de Monasterio in Rabé de la Calzada.
Sta. Maria de Monasterio
The crystal clear, fresh water at Hontanas.
Dipping my tendonitis inflamed leg in the cool, clear water in the Esla river at Mansilla de las Mulas – which, by the way, totally healed my leg!
The barn turned albergue in Boadilla del Camino.
Catching up to Krisztina in Villamayor de Monjardín, and again in Mansilla de las Mulas.
The Pre-Romanesque chapel of San Miguel outside of Estella.
Ermita de San Miguel Arcángel
Meeting Virgina one of my Dissertation Director’s best UVA friends in Leon, by chance!
Virginia is a friend of Irene, my Dissertation Director!!
Meeting a baby cow in Santibañez de Valdeiglesias.
Vespers with the nuns of St. Claire at their Convent of Carrión de los Condes.
Seeing the rainbow outside of Leon.
Vespers with the nuns in Sahagun.
Vespers in Sahagun
The chapel at San Nicolas del Real Camino on the side of the Pisuerga River.

Fantastic energy at San Nicolas, by the Pisuerga River

San Nicolas del Real Camino
The bumper cars in Nájera.
Sitting on a bench the morning of my (forced) rest day reading the Book of Job in Carrión de los Condes and two gorgeous horses being walked down the street.
A trailer bar set up in the middle of the parched fields a few miles before Los Arcos with the radio blasting and all sorts of refreshing goodies.
And in the middle of nowhere, an oasis!!
An albergue in the middle of Palencia blasting Tchaikovsky, with geese in the garden, and native American tepees in the back yard.
You can sleep in there if you want!
A fun, magical evening of love, drinks and tapas in Leon’s Barrio Húmedo and Barrio Romántico with my old colleague, Ana and her sister.
The fun and amazing Martinez sisters!
Doing laundry every day.
La Casa de los Dioses. A stop in the middle of a pine forest set up by David from Barcelona on an abandoned farm before Astorga. He had refreshing fruit, cool water from a botijo, and shade.
The (free) wine fountain at Bodegas Irache.
The (free) wine fountain at Irache BTW there are plastic cups in the vending machine on the other side!
The aperitivo before Sunday mass at Viana with Marie Helene and Krisztina.
Drinks at the Drunken Duck pub in Logroño.
Residencia Universitaria Miguel de Unamuno, León.
Stopping for orange juice at La Morena, possibly the hippest albergue of the Camino, but definitely the best orange juice!
Babia, across the street from the Burgos albergue, one of the best breakfasts on the Camino.
Angel’s shop, Amari, in Larrasoaña, blaring the Blues Brothers on vinyl.
Amari in Larrasoaña is a great, fun, convenience store
The chapel of San Esteban outside Pamplona where you can ring the bell (if you climb the bell tower).
San Esteban
The coffee spoon at Mesón El Yugo in Valverde de la Virgen, it was s shaped so it rested vertically on the cup.
Starting to walk in the pre-dawn darkness a few days.
The river crabs being fished out of the Canal de Castilla near Frómista.
Delicious river crabs from the Canal de Castilla
Putzing around Belorado for the better part of a morning: getting coffee, buying assorted supplies, visiting the pharmacy and the post office.
Buying cherries in Pamplona from a rude sales guy that did not enjoy washing the cherries.
Walking by Villava, birthplace and home of Miguel Indurain, my cycling hero.
Villava, home of the great Miguel Indurain, winner of 5 consecutive Tour de France!
Translating the tour of Roncesvalles from Father Vicentín to English and French.
Watching the San Fermin bull runs on TV in the mornings getting breakfast at bars along the Camino.
Santa María de Eunate.
Sta. Maria de Eunate
The massive medieval bridge at Hospital de Órbigo.
Doing yoga on the lawn at Roncesvalles with James.
A fire just outside the albergue in Cizur Menor.

Fire by the albergue!

Helicopers loading up from a pool next to the albergue!
Watching the sun rise over the Pyrenees.
Sunrise over the Pyrenees
The Romanesque cloister at the Cathedral of Estella.
The Romanessque cloister at the Cathedral of Estella
The chickens at the Cathedral in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
Legend has it that a chicken on the judge’s plate came to life to prove a pilgrim innocent, since then there are chickens in the Cathedral