Author: Thom

I knew today was going to be a long, hot day, so I broke my rule about starting in the dark in Spain. After a hearty Austrian breakfast featuring good brown bread, I said goodbye to many of my Camino companions for the past few days: Allison and Morgan, Rebecca, even Philip. Given our schedules for the next few days, […]

Apparently my body, knowing that today was going to be a short day, slightly overslept. I mean, I was up at 5 AM with a jolt, but I immediately fell back to sleep.  Even so, I was packed and ready to go at just before 7:30 AM. Despite the lateness, I hadn’t actually slept very well. The most uncomfortable bed! […]

There were many churches I wanted to visit in Pamplona, including the 13th century church of San Cernín, which has a Baroque chapel containing the miraculous statue of la Virgen del Camino. Unfortunately, most all of them were closed, probably due to the chaos intendant on the fiesta. Perhaps next time.  How bad were the crowds? We briefly joined a […]

By 7 AM I was up, packed, and meandering towards breakfast. Once again, the voices of doom were predicting no beds available in Pamplona, the largest city on the Camino in Spain and my intended destination for the day.  Sophie left early, but Tara and I left together about seven to walk in the dark and spooky forest. After about […]

Last night after dinner was Mass for the Feast of Saint Matthew, celebrated by the Augustinian canons of the church. Afterwards, one of the priests gave a tour of the church. Only about six or seven of us stayed for the tour, which concluded with going down into the crypt, which still had its original 13th century paint. It was […]

A wistful sort of melancholy filled me as I passed out of the gates of Saint-Jean last night after dinner. I touched the stones of the Spanish Gate wondering when I would see the town again. As I climbed the Camino route up the hill to my rooms, my head was suddenly filled with the medieval pilgrim song that we […]

Today is my first genuine zero – rest day – on this Camino. Tomorrow, I cross the pass over the Pyrénées into Spain, but for now I’m just hanging out in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. After a leisurely morning – my body decided to wake up at 5 AM but I resolutely told it to go back to sleep – I had breakfast […]

Just a quick word about last night’s gîte: magnificent! Wide and spacious dorms, but more importantly, gracious and amazing hosts. Dinner was outside on the terrace in full view of the beautiful Basque hills. And afterwards, there was a sing-along in French punctuated by our host playing accordion and singing traditional Basque folk songs. It was just a great experience. […]