Tag: Linda S.

Two Pieces of String ~ June 14, 2016 

  • Tuesday, June 14, 2017
  • Day 44 (Day 41 Camino)
  • Puente la Reina
  • Distance: 20 1/2 miles (49% tarmac) 623 total miles
  • Ascent 1,997 feet and descent 2,585 feet
  • Time: 9 1/2 hours
  • Weather: 60-72 degrees, overcast, drizzle, blue sky with clouds. STARTED DAY IN SMARTWOOL CAP AND GLOVES.

How long is a Camino?

As long as a piece of string.

Two pieces of string connect.

My 2016 Camino Arles (Aragonés) connects with my 2014 Camino Frances as it crosses the five-arched Puente la Reina (The Queen’s Bridge).

I’VE DONE IT!  

  1. Puente la Reina
  2. Puente la Reina
  3. Puente la Reina

Double Whammy ~ June 13, 2016

  • Monday, June 13, 2016
  • Day 44 (Day 41 Camino)
  • Monreal
  • Distance: 21 miles (60% tarmac) 602 1/2 total miles
  • Ascent 1,994 feet and descent 1,514 feet
  • Time: 9 1/2 hours
  • Weather: 65-72 degrees, overcast, drizzle, blue sky with clouds

Double whammy.

Only one bar in town and it’s Monday, the typical closing day for Spanish shops.

No food to be had at any price. Sophie, Diego, and I empty our food bag of emergency stash. The combination is a Pilgrim’s feast.

The town’s Albergue lets us complementary use their facility.

  1. Towards Monreal
  2. Monreal
  3. Monreal

Foz de Lumbuer ~ June 13, 2016

  • Monday, June 13, 2016
  • Day 44 (Day 41 Camino)
  • Monreal
  • Distance: 21 miles (60% tarmac) 602 1/2 total miles
  • Ascent 1,994 feet and descent 1,514 feet
  • Time: 9 1/2 hours
  • Weather: 65-72 degrees, overcast, drizzle, blue sky with clouds

The spectacular gorge of Foz de Lumbuer.  Long ago tunnels were cut through the gorge for a rail road and the tracks have since been removed.

  1. Towards Monreal
  2. Towards Monreal
  3. Towards Monreal

Bar’s Open ~ June 11, 2016

  • Saturday, June 11, 2016
  • Day 42 (Day 39 Camino)
  • Ruesta
  • Distance: 18 miles (80% tarmac) 567 1/2 total miles
  • Ascent 1,289 feet and descent 1,81 feet
  • Time: 7 1/2 hours
  • Weather: 65-77 degrees, blue skies the clouds

Ruesta was an important medieval village. In 1959, the town was formally abandoned.

Today the streets are filled with ruined houses and the church is closed; but, the bar and Gîte are open to serve pilgrims.

  1. Ruesta
  2. Ruesta
  3. Ruesta

Old Friend ~ June 8, 2016

  • Wednesday June 8, 2016
  • Day 39 (Day 36 Camino)
  • Castiello de Jaca
  • Distance: 16 miles (10% tarmac) 526 total miles
  • Ascent 920 feet and descent 3,349 feet
  • Time: 8 hours
  • Weather: 65-75 degrees, blue skies the clouds

An old friend..the yellow arrow marking The Way through Spain.

  1. Towards Castiello de Jaca
  2. Towards Castiello de Jaca
  3. Castiello de Jaca

The Unexpected ~ June 7, 2016

  • Tuesday, June 7, 2016
  • Day 38 (Day 35 Camino)
  • Col du Somport, SPAIN
  • Distance: 16 1/2 miles (60% tarmac) 510 total miles
  • Ascent 4,526 feet and descent 669 feet
  • Time: 10 hours
  • Weather: 65-75 degrees, blue skies the clouds

The unexpected…

Sunrise blue sky after last night’s BLACK sky.

Dry athletic tape at mid-day having totally soaked my shoes the first ten-minutes of a ten-hour day. I actually wrung out the socks and inner soles.

A sod roof blooming.

  1. Towards Col du Somport
  2. Towards Col du Somport
  3. Towards Col du Somport

French Mud ~ May 29, 2016

  • Sunday, May 29,2016
  • Day 29 (Day 26 Camino)
  • Barran (L’Isle de Noé)
  • Distance: 12 miles (80% tarmac) 375 1/2 total miles
  • Ascent 1,371 feet and descent 1,547feet
  • Time: 6 1/2 hours
  • Weather: 60-75 degrees, 3 light drizzles becoming blue skies with white clouds…humid breaks.

Nothing sticks as well,

As French mud.

  1. Toward Barran
  2. Toward Barran
  3. Toward Barran

Basilique Saint-Semin ~ May 24, 2016

  • Tuesday, May 24, 2016
  • Day 24 (Day 21 Camino / site-seeing day)
  • Toulouse
  • Distance: 5 1/2 miles (100% tarmac) 301 1/2 total miles
  • Ascent 558 feet and descent 666 feet
  • Time: 7 hours
  • Weather: 50-70 degrees, cloudy becoming blue sky’s with clouds

Toulouse may have always had the most pilgrim interest along the Arles Route to Santiago because of its numerous churches, convents, monasteries and hostelries/hospitals.

Saint Semin was the first bishop of Toulouse and was martyred in 250 AD by being dragged by bulls through the city streets. His body, along with 128 saints, lie in the Basilique Saint-Semin. Completed in C14th, it’s the largest Romanesque church in France.

Devine providence? None other than two of the French-Three-Some appear!

  1. Toulouse – Basilique Saint-Semin
  2. Toulouse – Basilique Saint-Semin
  3. Toulouse – Françoise and Jean-Françoise, Basilique Saint-Semin