Author: Thom

Just after Zubiri, the Camino passes through an industrial site called Magna. Signs everywhere warn pilgrims not to leave the path. Although it doesn’t look too bad here, the further you get into the area, the more grey and grim it becomes, and even outside of the fenced areas, the whole place is an industrial blight. Even here at the […]

Technically Zubiri is not actually on the Camino. But all you have to do is to cross this lovely stone bridge to get to the town. This is an early morning photo on our way back to the Camino. You can see some of our growing Camino family on the bridge, the Puente de la Rabia. The name of this […]

And here we are, our new Camino family of happy pilgrims having just finished our dinner at a restaurant around the corner from our albergue. From left to right, we have: Eamon from New Zealand, Ali from the U.K. by way of the French Alps, Cliff from Massachusetts, Kristof from Bruges, and yours truly. Apologies for the blurriness. Date: 02 […]

In Zubiri we found a wonderful little albergue. I liked it so much, that Francine and I stayed here when we came back in 2016. It’s clean and compact, with bunkbeds and white walls, and the hospitaleros are friendly and helpful. Although I didn’t know Charlie here in the doorway when I took this photo, we met him the next […]

This is the final descent into the town of Zubiri. I had originally planned on going as far as Larrasoaña today, but the descent left me bone-tired. It was, after all, my very first day of Camino walking, and no matter how much training you do, it never stacks up to the actual thing. My companions, Eamon and Cliff, were […]

The descent into Zubiri flattens out occasionally into fields or clearings. Here’s a photo of yours truly taking a brief break from the downhill walk in one such place. The fellow on the left was walking with his parents, and he’s way more energetic than I was. But, hey – at least the rain stopped. Date: 02 April 2013Place: approaching […]

My beautiful bride Francine refers to these sorts of rocky, treacherous downhill bits as “goat paths” on the theory that they were clearly designed for the use of goats and not people. Going down into Zubiri, we come to the first of these – a Roman Road Goat path. It’s actually not dangerous (except when it’s raining), but it does […]

This is always good advice. I needed it then, and I needed it this morning. There are quite a few signs like this along the length of the Camino, and they often pop up just when you need a little dose of encouragement. Date: 02 April 2013Place: Between Viscarret and Puerto de Erro (Navarra, Spain) MAP! Here’s the route I’m […]

In several places, the Camino follows the old Roman road network. Here we see what happens when your road is pillaged for building material for more than a thousand years. That’s Eamon up ahead. I think he’s photographing a flower. Date: 02 April 2013Place: Between Viscarret and Puerto de Erro (Navarra, Spain) MAP! Here’s the route I’m walking today (Roncesvalles […]

Sometimes it takes a sudden vista to remind you that you’re still walking down out of the Pyrenees – and will be for a week. Navarra is gorgeous, even in the rain. I’m partial to mountains anyway, having grown up in the dead flat of Chicago, but there’s something homey and hobbity about the northern Pyrenees. Date: 02 April 2013Place: […]