Progress – Via Podiensis/Camino Francés 2023 

Being a chronicle of Thom’s progress upon his pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, or Way of Saint James, in the autumn of 2023 along the routes known as the Via Podiensis and the Camino Francés. The number of kilometers traveled per day is as accurate as GPS tracking is likely to be. For reasons explained in the individual posts, those kilometers marked with an asterisk (*) are estimates.

15 August – Pilgrim blessing and flight to Lyon, France – Blessing and Scramble

France

16 August – Arrival in France and a train to Le Puy-en-Velay – Almost to the Beginning

17 August – Zero DayLoving Le Puy

18 August – The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins – Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Privat-d’Allier – 24.7 km

19 August – Saint-Privat-d’Allier to Saugues – 21.1 km

20 August – Saugues to Domaine du Savage – 14.3 km*

21 August – Domaine du Sauvage to Aumont-Aubrac – 29.0 km*

22 August – Aumont-Aubrac to Nasbinals – 27.2 km

23 August – Nasbinals to Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac – 17.8 km

24 August – Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac to Saint-Côme-d’Olt – 17.3 km

25 August – Saint-Côme-d’Olt to Estaing – 22.5 km

26 August – Estaing to Espeyrac – 26.1 km

27 August – Espeyrac to Conques – 12.9 km

28 August – Conques to Livinhac-le-Haut – 25.1 km

29 August – Livinhac-le-Haut to Figeac – 25.8 km

30 August – Figeac to Lacapelle-Marival – 25.6 km

31 August – Lacapelle-Marival to Gramat – 23.1 km

01 September – Gramat to Rocamadour – 12.5 km* / Bonus: The Way of Rocamadour

02 September – Rocamadour to Labastide-Murat – 30.8 km

03 September – Labastide-Murat to Vers – 26.1 km

04 September – Vers to Cahors – 18.7 km / Bonus: Dobbles’ Big Day in Cahors (plus cathedral photos)

05 September – Cahors to Lascarbanes – 23.8 km*

06 September – Lascabanes to Lauzerte – 27.1 km

07 September – Lauzerte to Moissac – 29.9 km

08 September – Moissac to Auvillar – 23 km*

09 September – Auvillar to Lectoure – 34.6 km

10 September – Lectoure to Condom – 28.7 km

11 September – Condom to Éauze – 37.2 km (personal one-day distance record)

12 September – Éauze to Nogaro – 22.2 km

13 September – Nogaro to Aire-sur-l’Adour – 31.2 km

14 September – Aire-sur-l’Adour to Arzacq-Arraziguet – 35.5 km*

15 September – Arzacq-Arraziguet to Arthez-de-Béarn – 32.7 km

16 September – Arthez-de-Béarn to Navarrenx – 34.1 km

17 September – Navarrenx to Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby – 21.1 km

18 September – Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby to just past Ostabat-Asme / Izura-Azme – 24.3 km

19 September – just past Ostabat-Asme / Izura-Azme to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port – 23.6 km

20 September – Zero DaySaint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Spain

21 September – Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles – 24.6 km

22 September – Roncesvalles to Zubiri – 24.8 km

23 September – Zubiri to Pamplona – 22.9 km

24 September – Pamplona via Eunate to Puente la Reina – 28.3 km

25 September – Puente la Reina to Estella / Lizarrara – 24.5 km

26 September – Estella / Lizarrara to Los Arcos – 22.6 km

27 September – Los Arcos to Logroño – 29.6 km

28 September – Logroño to Nájera – 30.2 km

29 September – Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada – 22.3 km

30 September – Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Tosantos – 28.2 km

01 October – Tosantos to San Juan de Ortega – 18.9 km*

02 October – San Juan de Ortega to Burgos – 26.4 km

03 October – Zero DayBurgos

04 October – Burgos to Hontanas – 32.9 km

05 October – Hontanas to Boadilla del Camino – 30.7 km

06 October – Boadilla del Camino to Villalcázar de Sirga – 22.1 km

07 October – Villalcázar de Sirga to Ledigos – 29.0 km

08 October – Ledigos to Bercianos del Real Camino – 28.0 km

09 October – Bercianos del Real Camino to Puente Villarente – 34.2 km

10 October – Puente Villarente to León – 13.0 km

11 October – León to San Martín del Camino – 26.9 km

12 October – San Martín del Camino to Astorga – 26.0 km

13 October – Astorga to Foncebadón – 27.2 km

14 October – Foncebadón to Ponferrada – 28.8 km

15 October – Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo – 26.0 km / Bonus: The Churches of Villafranca

16 October – Villafranca del Bierzo to La Faba – 26.1 km

17 October – La Faba to Fonfría – 18.6 km

18 October – Fonfría to Samos – 22.3 km

19 October – Samos to Barbadelo – 16.9 km

20 October – Barbadelo to Gonzar – 29.5 km

21 October – Gonzar to Melide – 33.6 km

22 October – Melide to A Brea – 29.6 km

23 October – A Brea to Santiago de Compostela – 28.1 km

24 October – Santiago de Compostela

25 October – Santiago de Compostela – initial reflections on a thousand miles

26 October – Santiago de Compostela

27 October – Flight from Santiago to Dublin

28 October – Flights from Dublin to Boston to Seattle