It is necessary to go out
January-February 2023

Now it’s clearly that we will not leave for the USA this year.
It would be possible with a departure at the end of October 2023, but we do not like to start that season and so we will suspend our trip to the USA for a year.

We can’t travel because quite a bit needs to be done on the facades of our house and this work will start around May 2023.
When construction work starts Dick thinks it’s better that I am not there and I agree. So in May I am going on a pilgrimage. This time I will walk the Camino del Norte, the pilgrimage route that follows the north coast of Spain.
That means that I want to take a closer look at these regions, so in January 2023 we plan a trip with our motorhome to the north coast of Spain. Not really the best time of the year to look around in this area but, given our other appointments, we have no choice.

January 12^th 2023 early morning Dick gets the motorhome out of the storage. He parks behind our house and we load everything we will need. We have plenty of time. Before leaving we first have an appointment about the floor insulation of our house. It’s going well, our floor will also be insulated and end of the afternoon we leave. We drive to Vijfhuizen, under the smoke of Amsterdam, because tomorrow we have to go to our IVECO/FIAT garage first.

This morning the weather was still reasonable, gray but dry, now it is raining hard and the wind is blowing.
To prevent sinking into the mud, we are advised not to park on the grass but on the path between. There are few motorhomes so that is not a problem and early evening we have a place. Although the Frankia shakes back and forth due to the heavy gusts of wind and rain (we hope the motorhome rinses clean) we sleep deeply.

It is a bit disappointing when the next morning our alarm clock wakes us up at 5.30 am. After a quick breakfast we leave this motorhome parking that we  only saw in the dark. At the truck garage, mechanic Jeremy tells us what he is going to do about the fact that we are unable to fill up our diesel tank completely and then we wait, but with good coffee. Unfortunately there is more work involved than expected so after an hour we leave again. When we get back in March, the motorhome will be taken care of. We drive to Bergen op Zoom where we enjoy the wild inland sea and a faint sunshine for the rest of the afternoon. It’s storming now. I walk to some shops, the non-alcoholic wine is on sale and Dick works on the inventory count of the dive shop. That has to happen as well.

You notice that the weather plays a role in going out because we are all alone on the boulevard.
Because it is raining quite hard on Saturday January 14^th, Dick drives the Frankia closer to the supermarket so I can buy croissants and will not get wet. After breakfast and dumping our gray and black water we leave. We cannot fill up with clean water because the water tap is closed due to the frost, something that we will encounter more often on our route.

It’s pretty quiet on the road. There are not even traffic jams at Antwerp. The sky is uniformly grey, it storms and rain falls regularly. The thermometer hits  just 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s not weather to go out.

As soon as we set foot on French soil, we exchange our empty propane-tank and then continue our trip along the Côte Opale to St. Martin de Boulogne. We will spend the night in the parking lot of an Auchan. An ideal place because it offers me a chance to look around the supermarket. After the motorhome is parked, with the front to the wind, I walk inside. And I am lucky, there is a sale of towels, they are 70% discounted and Dick just complained about our almost threadbare, 10 year old towels.

For a long time I search between the piles of towels. They are constantly replenished and finally I leave with six new, thick towels. In the near future we won’t have to rub our bodies dry. Although the storm continues, it clears up end of the afternoon, but since neither of us want to go out, we stay inside. We read, cook a simple meal and watch the news before going to bed. Apparently we have contracted a virus because the handkerchiefs cannot be dragged on and so is the case with the cough syrup. Although the latter is well overdue, it still helps.
At night we are not bothered by the big lights in the parking lot because after closing time all lights are turned off and it becomes pitch dark outside.

Sunday January 25^th it rains incessantly, there is still a very strong wind and it is only 40 degrees. After our breakfast with a delicious fresh baguette we drive south. At the Pont de Bretonne we cross the Seine. I love this because with the current weather conditions it is not really wise to take the Pont de Normandy, high above the Seine.
We arrive in Honfleur at 3 pm. There is hardly anyone on the parking lot and soon we find a nice spot. The weather doesn’t tempt us to go outside at all, so we read, heat up a can of sauerkraut and watch the news. We sleep like marmots.

On Monday it is still raining and there are strong gusts of wind, but with the motorhome as a barrier against the wind, we manage to fill our water tank completely. Then we leave. At 11 am the sky finally breaks open and the sun shows itself for a while, but unfortunately not for long because when we approach Fougeres it rains again. Unfortunately, we cannot park at the motorhome parking I selected. That car park is only accessible to passenger cars, so we take a look at our app and quickly find a spot in Liffre, again in the parking of a supermarket.

Fortunately end of the afternoon it clears up and we bask in the nice warm sun before it disappears behind the buildings on this industrial area.

In the evening we buy a burger at Mc.Donalds. It’s edible, but we’ve had better. In this car park the lights are also turned off after closing time and we sleep deeply and undisturbed.

Tuesday January  17^th it is considerably colder and the thermometer shows only 35 degrees. After a breakfast with fresh croissants we leave. It is not busy on the road so around noon we arrive in Cholet. There is a large parking lot with sufficient space not far from the center of town, but we decide to drive for another half hour and park our Frankia in Les Herbiers. Here we are greeted by the sun.

On the outskirts of town I saw a Decathlon so after a cup of coffee I walk there. Dick don’t want to walk along and stays in the motorhome. Although it’s more fun to walk together, it’s nice to be alone when wandering around this sporting goods store. It offers more possibilities to sniff around extensively. And not without results because I find super lightweight pants (and discounted). They will be great to wear on my pilgrimage. This purchase is partly due to Dick calling me and saying that I have to stay in the store because the weather is bad. Rain and hail is pouring down.

When the weather has cleared and its dry, I leave the store with my purchase, look for another geocache in a beautiful park nearby and then come home where I proudly show Dick my new pants. We spend the rest of the evening reading and cooking a meal.

Wednesday we don’t wake up until 9 am. It is a good thing that we placed our insulation mat in front of the window because last night it froze hard. The sun is shining and despite the cold it is nice to be outside so I don’t mind walking to the boulangerie. A little later we enjoy our breakfast with an egg cooked by Dick. Here the water is also shut off, but we still have enough clean water in our tank.
We arrive in Rochefort at 12.30 pm. The parking lot has changed but there is still space to park.

Because we stay close to a marina, there is a laundromat where we want to go after we collect our laundry. While I supervise the washing- and drying process, Dick walks to the Capitainerie (harbor office). Here is a dump station and a working water tap. Great, tomorrow morning we can get rid of our dirty water and fill up with clean water. When our clean clothes are put away, I walk to the Lidl. I only have to walk 1,5 miles and am pleased to do so for our dinner, after all there is no restaurant in the area. After a simple meal of baked potatoes, with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and meatballs, we watch TV before going to bed. Now our insulation mat is placed on the windscreen every evening and night because the freezing cold remains.

 

Thursday, January 19^th we dump and fill water at the Capitainerie and then drive further south. The farmlands around us are flooded, due to the heavy rain. On the outskirts of Bordeaux, next to an old Romanesque church, we want to spend the night, but it is raining steadily, so after a short walk we continue and finally we stop at 5 pm in Villeneuve de Marsan. There are already 4 other motorhomes parked and we go to the remaining spot. Then I walk into town.

There are geocaches hidden at some “Lavoirs” (medieval washing places) and I like to find them. The walk is not very pleasant because it is water cold and it is also drizzling. But I find the geocache and admire the lavoir behind the old church. Early in the evening the wind picks up, it blows so hard that our satellite cannot find any channels, so we read instead of watching TV.

Friday January 20^th we are awakened by the sun at 9 am. So it is not a punishment to walk to the supermarket and get a baguette. After our breakfast, dumping and filling water (yes, that is available) we leave.

The most southern part of West France looks attractive, also because the sun is shining brightly, but the parking for motorhomes in the middle of Saint Jean de Luz is unfortunately too short for our Frankia, so we drive on to Hendaye. When we get there, the parking lot is completely empty. Probably the result of the fact that recently a group of illegal immigrants wanted to break into a motorhome. So we drive on, pass the station where I arrive by train in May, cross an invisible border and stop at a supermercado in Irun to buy bread. We are back in Spain. And, more important, from the motorhome I was able to view the road I have to walk to get to the albergue in Irun, Spain after arriving by train in Hendaye, France.

We are looking for our way into the mountains. That is not so easy. The road gets narrower and narrower and we have to drive backwards. After studying the roads again on our Hakuna, we see another road that is suitable for our motorhome and a little later we climb higher and higher into the mountains to the Sanctuario Guadelupe. Here is a large parking lot where we can spend the night. On my first walking stage I will climb up here, so we look around, visit the old church, take a picture at the large scallop shell (the symbol of the pilgrims to Santiago) and admire the view over the city of Irun, deep below us.

 

My first stage on the Camino del Norte is truly a mountain stage, what a climb up.
The parking lot is very deserted, so after we look at everything carefully and I also heard from a local farmer how to continue my walk further up the mountain, we leave. In Irun we pass the still closed Albergue and then we drive on to San Sebastian. There we spend the night in the parking lot of a large football stadium. There are quite a few motorhomes and we have a chat with one of our neighbors. Because it is now 4 pm we don’t go out anymore. Tomorrow we will stay another day and then we will explore Donostia, the Basque name for San Sebastian. We already found out that in this part of Spain you don’t get along very well with Spanish. Everything here is mentioned in the Basque language.

It is only 34 degree when we wake up at 9 am on Saturday morning. We sleep a lot in our motorhome. Although there are still a lot of clouds, we also see some blue sky and it is getting warmer by the hour. Although there should be a bus connection to the center, we walk down. That means going down many, many stairs, but when we arrive at the stadium, we can walk a normal road. On our way we look for some geocaches. One of them takes us to an elevator, hidden in the façade, to a beautiful viewpoint over the city and the cathedral.

Of course we visit the church a little later and then we head for the promenade of Donostia. It’s pleasantly busy here. Everyone gets a breath of fresh air along the bay. Fortunately there is no wind and the sun breaks through the clouds so the temperature even rises to 47 degrees. It’s great to walk around here and I facetime with Hannah. After all, this city is her favorite destination. Then a geocache leads us to the old town of Donostia, consisting of narrow streets. Here is also the Basilica de Santa Maria del Coro, the oldest church in the city that looks impressive. Again we look around inside this church.  It’s nice also because of the music being played. End of the afternoon we walk back, again there is no escaping the more than 150 steps up. Tired but satisfied, we end this wonderful day by raising our glasses. This is a really a city to return to.

Sunday January 22 the sun is shining again and after breakfast and dumping of gray and black water we drive further west. Soon we enter the mountains on a narrow road where from the height of 1650 feet thick packs of snow lie along the side. But the road itself is clean and its sunny weather so we continue our way over the many mountain ranges. Fortunately there is no traffic at all because the width of the road does not make it easy for two cars to pass. After endless climbing and descending we finally arrive in lower regions and the road also becomes a bit wider. Now we are dealing with countless numbers of cyclists who regard the road as their own. So there is no rushing.

After passing the big city of Bilbao we arrive in Santander. We have to drive through some narrow and very steep streets to the motorhome parking. It is quite busy but there are still some places available. Before the steep descent we saw a supermarket where I first buy some food and then I like to look for some geocaches in the park in front of us. Dick is not coming because he wants to clean our windows and the back of our motorhome. That’s necessary. Due to the bad weather of the past few days, the backside isn’t white anymore and we can hardly see through the windows. It is 48 degrees, there is no wind and the sun is shining, real weather to be busy outside.

Unfortunately, the weather changed completely on Monday January 23th. The sky is gray and regularly there is some drizzle. A good time to do our laundry. Dick takes me to the laundromat and then drives back because there is no parking space in this narrow street. When the laundry is clean and dry I put everything in the laundry bags and walk back in the drizzling rain.

It is more descending than walking because the parking is in the valley and the laundromat on the mountain. I am back just in time because now it starts to rain seriously.

Despite the unappealing weather, it is 45 degrees, windy and raining, we put on our rain jackets and after coffee we walk to the center of Santander. That is a special experience because to get to the center we first have to climb a mountain after which we can descend to the harbor. To please people, the walking paths uphill consist of escalators and on very steep parts elevators are available. Of course we try what it is like to walk up or down the steep streets, in comparison the streets of San Francisco fade.

 

 

 

 

At the harbor we take a look at the Ferry. I will use this on my pilgrimage to cross the bay. Unfortunately the weather is too unpleasant otherwise we would probably have sailed back and forth. Now we reward ourselves after a lot of climbing with coffee and delicious cake. There are not many people in the harbor area, only those waiting for the ferry and a few fishermen who actually hooked a fish. Finally we climb back to the motorhome. Our Frankia Titan has been joined by another Frankia Titan. Inside our Frankia we have a chat with Frans and Hennie. It is nice to exchange experiences.

The next morning, Tuesday January 24^th, the sky is gray and it rains, the temperature does not rise above 45 degrees. Because of the heavy rain here I decide to bring my rainjacket in addition to my poncho on my trip. Fortunately, after breakfast the rain stops so we can dump and fill up with water and don’t get soaked. Then we drive further west along the north coast. Regularly I check my camino app and see how the path of the Camino del Norte winds along the coast. We even see one brave pilgrim walking with a very heavy backpack. Probably unavoidable in this cold season.

We only drive 75 miles and end of the morning we arrive in Ribadesella. Next to the “Cuevas de Tito Bustillo” is a parking spot. It’s low tide so the river in front is dry. Unfortunately, the Cuevas are being renovated and are therefore closed. A pity because this cave with paintings of more than 14,000 years old must be worth a visit. So we will definitely return here. In the afternoon, when it is only drizzling, we walk to the beach to get a breath of fresh air.

After we are back I am not tired and I walk to the town where unfortunately everything is closed. So I climb to the high cliff at the end of town and enjoy the view of the raging sea below as well as the steeply rising cliffs. It’s a good thing Dick didn’t come because the path up is quite steep and uneven due to the many chunks of stone. After taking a lot of pictures and of course phoning Dick, I descend again.

My way is shown by scallops, after all the Camino del Norte runs through this town. At home we drink coffee and again I update my diary and write down our expenses. It starts to rain heavily. In the evening the river is filled with water (high tide) and the lights of the district on the other side reflect beautifully.

Wednesday, January 25^th, it is fortunately dry and the high mountains stand out clearly against the sky. They are covered in snow. The Camino Primitivo passes through this mountain range but I will continue to follow the Camino del Norte and cross the mountains further west.
After breakfast, we have again Oroweat bread, we leave and continue to follow the coast. On my phone I regularly see the path I hope to walk. The route to Aviles is not attractive because of large industrial areas where orange flames can be seen from afar. This heavy industry surrounds the historic city center which dates back to the 12th century.

We stop at a busy parking lot on the edge of the center. Fortunately there are still two places for motorhomes available and we park our Frankia. Then we walk into town. Using geocaches we find our way. It is cold but dry and every now and then the sun comes out.

Aviles is a pleasant old town with surprising streets and squares and beautiful old houses. We enjoy. Because of all that wandering around, we get hungry so when we see an eatery on the Plaza Major we soon enjoy a burger and chips. On the way back we stop at a bakery where we can’t resist the tempting pastries. They turn out to taste delicious.

 

At 5 pm I walk back to the center. In a shop window we saw this afternoon a beautiful beanie with neckie, irresistible. The store was closed but is now open and I walk back with my new purchase. Of course I also take a look at the nearby Albergue. Only the hospitaleros (hosts) are present, no pilgrim is to be seen and I am allowed to look around. In my faltering Spanish I ask about the crowds in May. Then it’s still low season so reservations will not be necessary. I say goodbye, see you in May and get a friendly wave. Back in the motorhome I tell Dick about my experiences, show my purchase and then I walk to the other side of the square, to a China Bazaar. In a city I don’t get much rest.
It’s a nice looking store and although I don’t buy anything, it’s fun to walk through. At least for me because Dick sees things differently and if possible he won’t come along.
It remains busy in this car park and all parking spaces for motorhomes fill up.

The next morning we have to knock on the side of a van for some time to wake up the owner. He is parked at the dump site and before we leave we want to get rid of our dirty water. Fortunately, after some time there is some movement and another 10 minutes later the van leaves and we can empty and fill our tanks. Again we drive through a very hilly landscape where my app indicates that the Camino del Norte winds along the road.
After Ribadeo we leave the coast and climb higher and higher inland. The sky closes, fog surrounds us and visibility drops to 4 feet. But when we descend blue skies and sun appear. It is therefore good to arrive in Betanzos. Last year we were here too, but then we arrived with rain and stayed in a different parking lot. Now we are parked on a large sandy plain near an Eroski supermarket between the passenger cars. It is quiet in the city but also boring. How different it was last May when we arrived on a Gallic holiday. Everyone walked around, enjoying the music played in the square or sitting on an outside terrace with a drink while the rain poured down from the sky.

Still, it’s nice to wander around and get some fresh air. On our way back we walk to the Eroski to buy food. We see many pig heads at the butcher and wonder who is buying this. We limit ourselves to a meal salad and bread. Of course we call Hannah to hear how things went today. In the park where Henk and Hannah have their holiday home, the boundary markers have been hammered to indicate their terrain. They got more land. We eat simple, German bratwurst, cheese and baguette and it tastes great.

Friday January 27^th we leave at 8.30 am and drive straight through beautiful Galicia. Everywhere are Eucalyptus trees, the landscape is green and very hilly. A lone pilgrim has to push his bicycle up the hill, it’s too steep to cycle up.
At 12 pm we arrive in Muxia. The ocean is in front of us, the sun is shining brightly and the sky is getting bluer. It is 52 degrees but there is a strong wind. In the middle of the center, between the parked buses, we find the parking lot where we can spend the night. Our Frankia gets a spot here.

Soon we leave the narrow streets of the small town and walk along the jagged coastline to the “Nosa Senora de Barca”, a stone’s throw away. This church, which was completely destroyed by a fire in 2013 but has since been restored. It appears to be closed, but we can take a look inside through a window.

Of course we climb over the rock-covered plain towards the waterline where the waves crash on the rocks. Here we find two rocks: the Pedra dos Cadris, a sail-like rock and the Pedra de Abelar, the boat-like rock.

Of course we take pictures and because I read somewhere that you have to crawl under the Pedra dos Cadris 7 times, I do that. Later I read that you have to go under it 9 times and it does not give a blessing to your pilgrimage but is good for back pain. Not really logical because you have to wriggle in strange turns to get under the rock. But I get a second chance to crawl under when I arrive here as a pilgrim.

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back we pass the monument “A Ferida” a cracked, high rising stone. The crack in the stone symbolizes the wound caused by the terrible oil spill caused by the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige in 2002.
After a moment of reflection, we climb the hill next to the church from where we have a magnificent view of Muxia and the Costa del Morte.

 

At the highest point on the hill stands a stone cross and close to it is also a geocache hidden en we also search this one. Luckily we do find this geocache. It is striking to see that every available spot towards the coastline is used for vegetable gardens. Finally we are back at the motorhome. We warm ourselves with a cup of hot chocolate because despite the lovely sun it is quite cold due to the strong wind. Because the weather is so nice, I want to walk to Fisterre tomorrow. In earlier times people thought it was the end of the world, it’s a distance of 18 miles. To prove that Muxia is my starting point, I walk to the Albergue Municipal where I get a stamp. Then I pack my backpack. I am ready to walk tomorrow.

Unfortunately it starts to rain late in the evening and early morning there is still rain so instead of getting up at 6 am I stay in bed. The walk to Fisterre will have to take place at another time, hopefully in June. At 8.30 am Saturday morning the sun is shining again, but the temperature dropped to 43 degrees, so my intention not to walk today does not change. After breakfast we leave Muxia and head for Santiago de Compostela. We decide to continue to Lugo. Our journey takes us along the Camino Frances through the towns of A Salceda, Arzua and Melide, places that I still vividly remember. It is therefore very wise that in May I will walk another Camino.

After the motorhome has found a place in the parking lot in Lugo, we walk to the center via endless steps. We are warmly wrapped because despite a bright sun, the temperature feels like 36 degrees. It’s freezing cold and I’m glad I didn’t go for a walk to Fisterre. After walking past the imposing city walls, we enter the center through one of the city gates, where we enjoy wandering around. It is quiet but with the current temperatures that is not surprising. To warm up we have lunch in the restaurant of a Hyper Froid. The menu consist of vegetables with egg, a burger, rice with bell pepper and Tiramisu. It’s tasty but it’s a lot of food, so it is good that we walk around some time after this meal. We are not back until 5 pm. Immediately we install the insulation mat in front of the window and set the vehicle heater to a high temperature to warm up again. I don’t have to prepare a meal anymore, we ate enough this afternoon.

After a frosty night we get up at 8.30 am on Sunday January 29^th. The sky is steel blue and clouds are gone. The thermometer shows 30 degrees. To our surprise this parking lot has water. We fill up our tank and then we leave. The road is quiet and the snow covers the high mountains we drive through. Even on the high mountain passes, the tallest is 4000 feet, there is no snow on the road.
At 11.50 am we arrive in Astorga. No one is parked in the area between the apartment buildings, so we continue to a laundromat where I unload our laundry. Unfortunately I can’t start washing immediately because all machines are occupied. I wait inside, finally load two machines and supervise the drying process.

Meanwhile Dick is vacuuming our motorhome. He does that considerably more precisely than I do. When his chores are done he arrives with a pot of coffee, I am spoiled. I don’t know how he can time it so precisely, but if the laundry can be taken out of the dryer and needs to be folded, he is back again and soon we walk back with all the folded laundry. A moment later we stand in our favorite spot.

It’s time to walk around Astorga. It is much more pleasant than yesterday with a temperature of 47 degrees and plenty of sun. After checking the albergue de peregrinos (it’s still there and Dick hears all the stories again) we walk over the city walls and enjoy the sun and a view of the wide surroundings and the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Then we walk back to the main square. When it is warmer, there are terraces everywhere, but now the square is empty. A little further on is an Irish Pub where we can eat. The many tourists and pilgrims may have influenced the mealtimes. We have a good meal and the glass of wine is delicious after the walk. Unfortunately we cannot buy cheese on our walk back.
The supermercado is closed and the outdoorshop is even closed until March. Although the plan was to visit a few towns on the camino Frances (I want to show Dick as much as possible), we decide different because the narrow roads through the wild mountain area are better to explore in the summer.

We change our route for the umpteenth time and after breakfast on Monday January 30^th we drive to Vitoria Gasteiz, the capital of Spanish Basque Country. It has frozen, last night it was only 22 degrees and you feel that, our heating is on all night. The insulation mat is frozen stiff, it is almost impossible to roll it up and I am glad I manage to store it in the empty crate.

Moments later we ride the camino in the opposite direction.
Time and time again I see places where I walked. Again Dick is overloaded with stories about my camino experiences. Everything comes back to life.

Soon we pass Leon and we drive up the Meseta, the at least 125 miles long high plateau with endless agricultural fields and of course the camino follows this plain. The view is a bit monotonous but the sun is shining brightly in a steel blue sky and I only see memories. In Burgos we leave the meseta, drink a coffee and then drive on. After endless tunnels through rugged rocky areas we arrive in Vitoria Gasteiz. The parking here is much more pleasant to spend the night than in Burgos. The large Eroski supermercado on the edge of the car park is a pleasure to see. I have never seen such a beautiful vegetable department. We walk between the vegetables and finally know what to choose for our meal and then walk back. We are too late to walk to the center and now that the sun disappears behind the buildings, the temperature drops to 37 degrees. But inside it is pleasantly warm, especially after placing our isolation mat, and we enjoy the evening.

On the last day of January we get up at 8 am. The sky is completely cloudy but it is dry and there is no wind. Fortunately, the clouds disappear quickly and when we drive to Pamplona we see some blue sky and the sun appears. Fortunately, because now we can take the mountainpass at Roncesvalles on our way to Saint Jan Pied de Port in France. After filling up in Spain where the diesel is really cheaper than in France, we start climbing the mountains.

We pass the albergue in Zumiri and a little later we stop in the mountains. Here the camino crosses the mountain road.

This road is clear of snow but the surrounding landscape is covered with it and a little later I am standing in the snow on the camino.
This is completely different from the path I walked in August. It’s no wonder that the pilgrims we see now all walk along the edge of the road instead of taking the snow-covered trails.
Later at the pilgrimsoffice in St Jean I hear that many trails are even completely closed in winter. The higher we get the narrower the road becomes. Especially in the small villages the road is so narrow because of the many snow that has pushed away and I am glad there is no oncoming traffic.

 

 

 

In Roncesvalles it snows and we drive into a thick fog. Now you should not be here as a pilgrim.
But it is beautiful outside, the frost has frozen the fog on the branches and the landscape turned into a winter wonderland. The long descent towards France is slow because there are regularly slabs of snow on the road and we must descend carefully. The snow and fog disappears when we are at the height of 1300 feet. Blue sky appears and so does the sun. The parking in St Jean Pied de Port is quiet (there are only two other motorhomes) and we park the Frankia in the full sun. Then we walk into town. Unfortunately everything is closed, not only because of the lunch break but also because many shops, under which our “Boutique de Pelerin” are closed for months. They open again in March. It’s a pity because I would love to look inside.

The church is open so of course we light a candle (out of gratitude) and then we walk at our leisure the medieval street and enjoy the sun and the warmth. Unlike Roncesvalles, where it was winter, here it feels like spring. It is 50 degrees. With these low temperatures it goes fast with our propanetank and already a few days ago our French tank indicated to be empty, so we walk to the adjacent supermarket where we exchange it for a full tank.
Late in the afternoon I walk to the Bureau de Peregrinos to get a new credential (Pilgrim’s passport). I need this for my new pilgrimage. The sky is still steel blue and the reflection in the river of the church, surrounded by old houses, is beautiful. No wonder you fall in love with this town.

On Wednesday, February 1^st, the sun shines early and because there is no wind, the thermometer shows 46 degrees. We are back in France so we have breakfast with a fresh baguette and then leave. We drive east along the imposing, snow-capped mountain range of the Pyrenees. At 1.30 pm we arrive in Lourdes where we park our motorhome in the center and walk to the “Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes”.

In 1858 Holy Mary appeared in a cave to the girl Bernadette and those apparitions kept repeating themselves several times. Since then, Lourdes has been a leading Catholic sanctuary, visited by at least 6 million people every year. Visitors caress the walls of the cave, place candles and drink the water from the fountains, which are said to have medicinal effects. However, it is too cold at this time of year, so when we arrive at the Sanctuary, only a few people walk around. That’s why we can admire in peace the two basilicas that dominate the large entrance square. Of course we walk into the churches and climb many stairs because one basilica is built on top of the other. There are many images of Mary to be seen.

The Mary content is too high for us. We prefer the Spanish cathedrals with a single Mary and other statues, such as Apostle Santiago. We have more with that. We don’t light a candle because the prices are absurdly high and we can’t drink the water, it is shut off because of the frost. So we walk along the walls of the small cave, which I vaguely remember.
About 40 years ago we visited this cave, but I don’t remember anything about the imposing square and the basilicas. After two hours we have seen enough and walk back through the town. It is clear that the season has not yet started, because almost the entire street is dead, the shops are closed with shutters and only a single souvenir stall is open.

Back at the motorhome we decide not to stay and after looking for a destination further north we leave Lourdes. At 4 pm we park our Frankia in Arzacq. A small town with beautiful arcades. When we drove away this morning we left the cable in the electrical box, causing the cable to break. It’s clear we are not used to be connected. While Dick repairs this cable, I walk around town to look for a geocache. Despite the steel blue sky and bright sun it is cold but the walk to another lavoir is fun.
In the evening we have dinner in a small restaurant across the street. The food is good.

After another freezing cold night, we have breakfast with, of course, a fresh baquette and then continue our journey to the north. We drive inter-village on quiet country roads through the region Les Landes. A beautiful road where farmlands are interspersed with dense forests.

In Artigues pres Bordeaux we park next to a Romanesque church, drink coffee and then go out. There are some nice geocaches in the area.

The weather is good because there is not a breath of wind and in the afternoon the temperature rises to 59 degrees. The hike is fun and the geocaches require me to climb trees several times. Always fun, especially if you manage to get hold of the hidden geocache. At the end of the afternoon we are back.

Friday, February 3^rd, we wake up at 8 am by the bells of the Romanesque church. The sky is still steel blue and the sun is shining brightly. The temperature is only 34 degrees, last night it froze hard.

After a breakfast with old Spanish bread we leave and drive over the Route du Vin through the Bordeaux region. Unfortunately, the vines are still in winter outfit and we only see bare branches.

When we arrive in Rochefort, we can’t park at our usual parking, the place is cordoned off because work is in progress, so we drive to a parking near the shipyard where there is plenty of space. Unfortunately, the steel blue sky and sun disappear behind a thick cloud cover, so the temperature now does not exceed 45 degrees. But nevertheless we walk around this nice town on the banks of the Charente and famous for its maritime past. Not only were ropes made here for the Royal Navy, the Ecole de Medicine Navale was also founded in Rochefort. Here, for the first time in the world, surgeons were trained to go on warships. Today, a museum has been set up in this school, unfortunately it’s still closed.

Of course I walk to the Lidl at the end of the afternoon where I buy green beans and cordon bleu, we have dinner tonight. It remains quiet at this place, we stay here with three motorhomes. It may even be a better spot than the one between the apartment buildings. While the full moon shines on the motorhome, we sleep deeply.

Saturday, February 4^th, the sky is gray and the temperature does not rise above 41 degrees. We dump and fill up our clean water tank and then set off. Before noon we arrive in Vouvant, a small village with a large Romanesque church, founded in the 11th century. Time has stood still here. Medieval streets are connected by squares and alleys and the impressive tower and fortress walls take you back to times gone by. Fortunately, there are some geocaches hidden in the most special places so that we can explore the village properly. We enjoy wandering around. Special is the Romanesque church with an imposing portal.
Above the doors are representations of both the Last Supper and the Ascension. Thanks to the film running in the crypt, we are alerted to this. Of course we also come to a lavoir. This time one where water was heated in large cauldrons. These lavoirs were public washing places that had to be paid for. Actually only the rich paid for its use, the poor could wash their clothes for free but….they had to wash in the dirt water of the rich.

End of the afternoon we are back at our motorhome, parked on the outskirts of the town. We don’t stay long because half past six we walk back to the town. To get to the restaurant Maitre Panetier, we climb the steep steps carved into the rock to the Melusine Tower from where we have a magnificent view of the river meandering below us. We enjoy a delicious meal in the only restaurant that is open and enjoy the French cuisine. Returning to the motorhome in the dark, we avoid the rocky steps and walk down the road. A little safer with the wine we had.

We do not wake up until half past eight on Sunday morning. We slept deeply. It is therefore dead quiet at this parking where only one other motorhome stays. To get a baguette I climb the rock steps to the high tower. This is considerably shorter than taking the normal road and after a good breakfast (Dick once again boiled an egg) we drive away. Unfortunately the sky is still gray but as the morning progresses more and more blue skies appear and the sun breaks through.

We drive further north on dead quiet roads and park our Frankia in the Breton village of Grand Fougeray. The sun is shining brightly now and so we put on our hiking boots and let ourselves be guided by the geocaches hidden here.
We are not disappointed because we see the nice places in the town and enjoy a wonderful walk in the woods. Also in this village is a big tower. Unfortunately everything is closed so we can’t eat out but the quiche with meatballs tastes too.

We are not in a quiet spot because from 5 am the next morning it is very busy due to passing cars. It has frozen hard again last night and with difficulty we roll up the insulation mat. After breakfast we drive away. After 62 miles we arrive in Pontorson. Time to do laundry so after the motorhome is parked next to the supermarket I collect our laundry.

When Dick has fetched a shopping cart, we load everything and walk to the laundromat in the front. All machines are available and the washing machines are loaded and after 2.5 hours we have a clean bed and everything is stored in the cupboards again. In the afternoon we walk through Pontorson, well packed because despite the radiant sun there is a chilly wind. But if we can shelter from the wind it is pleasantly warm. After 2.5 hours we are back, do some shopping at the supermarket and Dick puts the geocaches in the computer.
In the evening we hear on TV that there has been a huge earthquake in Turkey. A big contrast because we enjoy an undisturbed trip. The night is clear and it freezes hard.

Tuesday February 7^th we don’t wake up until half past eight. The supermarket is already open and I can buy a baguette. Again the sun is shining but it is icy cold. After our breakfast we leave and after one last look at Le Mont St Michel we drive into Normandy. We will visit the Mont when it is warmer.
It is not busy on the road, but a passing car manages to throw up a stone which, again, creates a star in our windscreen. Already the third on this trip.

It seems as if we are driving in Alaska where we could not avoid thrown stones hitting our window. When we arrive in Cherbourg at half past twelve there is nowhere to park. Beside the French motorhomes parked for the winter, every available spot is occupied with passenger cars. Even at the dump site cars are parked. There must be something going on in “La Cité de la Mer”. It’s a maritime museum in the cruise terminal of Cherbourg, built in 1933.
Fortunately two passenger cars leave so that we can park our Frankia and after having a coffee, a better spot becomes available and we quickly park our Frankia. It is only 36 degrees but the sun is shining so a little later we walk into Cherbourg.

It’s a town we can never get enough of. Whatever the time of year, there is always something to discover in the narrow streets of the old center. Previously we discovered here Parc Liais with its exotic plant species and huge ferns. End of the afternoon we are back and we warm up with a cup of hot chocolate. At 6.30 pm we walk back to the center and we have dinner in restaurant Khao Thai. We are the only guests but the curry is excellent so next time we are in Cherbourg we will return. On our walk back we enjoy the reflection of the lights in the harbor before we go to bed.

Wednesday February 8^th we are wake up at 8 am. It is 27 degrees and we are happy with our insulation mat. After finally leaving the traffic chaos in Cherbourg, we drive on country roads to Honfleur. Hardly anyone stays on the motorhome parking. It is already 34 degrees and there is no wind, the sky is steel blue and the sun is shining so we quickly walk to the center of Honfleur. It’s not really busy, only on the terraces that are full in the sun, all seats are occupied. Drinking a cup of coffee is therefore not an option. So we walk on and enjoy. We are back at the end of the afternoon. My shoes appear to be smeared with dog poop so I first spend some time cleaning my soles with twigs and later some water. At times like this, dogs are not my best friends. In the evening, of course, I buy us a Turkish meal, kebab with fries. After our walk in the cold outdoors it tastes great.

 

Thursday February 9^th it is still freezing in the morning. Even the water of the inner harbor is frozen, but we enjoy a beautiful sunrise.
After a nice breakfast and filling our watertank, we leave Honfleur and drive along the Seine to Rouen where we can cross the river.
At 12.30 pm we are in Beauvais and walk into the city center. Because in 1940 two-thirds of the city center went up in flames as a result of a bombing raid, very little remains of the ancient houses from the Middle Ages. Fortunately, the impressive cathedrale St Pierre was spared. Of course we walk in but don’t stay there very long.

It is so incredibly cold inside that we are numb to our bones. It is a relief when we are outside again where the temperature is really not higher than 36 degrees. Before we walk back to the motorhome, we buy some food at the large supermarket and I walk to a geocache that is hidden further down the road. In the evening we have stew of Chinese cabbage with sausages. It tastes great and suits the current temperatures. Due to the low temperatures, our propane tank is empty again, so we can exchange it before we leave France.

When Dick wakes up the next morning he thinks it’s 8 am and we get up. After showering it is still very dark outside. Then it turns out that it is an hour earlier, the alarm clock is not set properly or Dick has not looked at it properly. The supermarket is still closed so we eat old bread from Spain and leave for Paris. At 10 am we pass Charles de Gaulle airport and a little later we leave the motorway and continue on small country roads.

 

 

At 1 pm we arrive in L’Epine. Because the clouds have dissipated and the sun is shining brightly, we go out. We have found some geocaches before, but apparently never put them in the computer, so we look for them again and have a nice walk. No punishment with the admittedly cold, but radiant weather.
Again we enter the imposing church. I like to be here. It is a place to express your gratitude and to drink the ice cold water from the water source. There is also a statue of St Jacques (St James).

 

 

We see a prayer. It’s moving so I’m sending it to my fellow pilgrims. Immediately I get an app back from Danielle from Brasil, my walking buddy. Back in the motorhome I have to clean our soles again. Apparently when we walked the Stations of the Cross we hit clay soil because a thick layer sticks under our shoes and is difficult to remove. Only after rooting with twigs do I manage to get our soles clean again. In the evening the cathedrale is beautifully lit, but I don’t feel like walking there anymore. I will do that at a time of year when it no longer freezes so hard.

Saturday, February 11^th, it is still freezing when we get up and we see the sun appear as a red sphere above the horizon. The bakery is nearby and open at 5 am so I buy bread and then we leave L’Epine. We drive to Verdun where we exchange our French propane tank for a full one. Then we continue our way to Dudelange in Luxembourg. We haven’t been able to fill up with water since Honfleur and we found out that in Dudelange is water. Here we also refuel cheaply and because we are on our way to Mettlach, Germany, this is hardly a detour. With a full tank of  clean water, a full diesel tank and empty waste watertanks we drive the last part to Mettlach through a hilly area on a narrow road between the woods. Every now and then we can catch a glimpse of the river Saar meandering below us. No one is parked in the parking lot of the Abtei Brau van Mettlach, so we have plenty of choice where we want to stay.

Then I walk to the tourist information in town to pay for the parking lot, it’s 5 euro. Dick stays in the motorhome. Again he will clean the windows. Not a luxury because they are filthy and he continues to work on the inventory of the dive shop. Because it’s early afternoon and I didn’t walk much for a few days, I keep walking from the village to a few shops further away. Here I look around before walking back home. The weather is significantly less than the last few days. The grey sky is not really inspiring, but there is no wind and with 41 degrees it is good walking weather.

When I get home around 4 pm, Dick has already installed the insulation mat for the window and cleaned everything. Of course I talk Dick’s head off, he needs to know what I ‘ve been through ad then write down my experiences. Suddenly it is 6.30 pm and time to walk to the Abtei Brau. After all, the reason to go to Mettlach is the delicious food here. And we are not disappointed. The steak (for Dick) and the schnitzel (for me) and the freshly tapped brewery beer are excellent again.

Sunday February 12th we wake up at 7 am. That’s the result when you get up at this time two days in a row. The supermarket is closed on Sundays and it is dead quiet in the parking lot. The drinking water is still shut off, but because we filled up in Dudelange yesterday, we don’t need water anymore. Along the banks of the Saar we drive to Trier and then we get on the autobahn. That’s why we’re making progress because within 4 hours we’ve driven 164 miles and we arrive in Bruggen, Germany.
There are quite a lot of motorhomes parked, but there is still room. Soon we walk to the center of Bruggen. Although everything is closed, many people walk around to get some fresh air. Despite the fact that the sky is gray, it doesn’t really feel cold outside. Because there is not a breath of wind, it is around 48 degrees. After walking around the town, we discover that a number of geocaches are hidden in the forest 2 miles away. Dick doesn’t feel like going out again, but I still have too much energy and I have to practice walking, so I want to go out again.

Dick loads the geocaches into my GPS and then I set off. It turns out to be a nice forest walk. I don’t meet anyone and walk all alone. Apparently people limit their walk to the town.
When twilight is not so long in coming, I’ve found all the geocaches and after some calculation I also found the place where the bonus cache is hidden and I walk back. Just before dark I am home. In the evening I buy Turkish food across the road. It tastes delicious as always and I enjoy not having to cook. Being outside so long makes me feel rozy so I am in bed before 10 pm. Dick stays up longer, but he gets by with less sleep.

A complex of houses is being built next to the parking lot so it’s not an option to sleep long in the morning. At 7 am we are awakened by the sounds on the construction site. We still have some old croissants from Spain and eat them for breakfast and after we have handed in a few German bottles and collected the deposit we are on our way. We drive on narrow country roads and arrive in Winterswijk, Netherlands at 11.30 am

Because our Dutch propane tank is also empty, we fill it at gas filling station Wilmerink. The filling here is much cheaper than in Rotterdam. Then we drive to Obelink (an outdoorshop) where we walk around and because our restaurant Enzovoort in Varsseveld is closed on Mondays, we also have lunch there.

Thereafter we drive to Varsseveld where we park the motorhome in front of the sports hall. We have a nice chat with the owners of the butterfly dogs that we often meet when we are here.
Because the sun has dispelled the gray sky and it is not really cold, I walk through the town in the afternoon, find a geocache and at Dick’s insistence I make an appointment at the hairdresser for tomorrow morning. It’s time because my hair is so long now that it flutters in my eyes. In the evening we only have a sandwich, read a book and watch the news.

The next morning, after breakfast, I walk to the hairdresser where I get my haircut at 9 am. What a wonderful start of Valentine’s Day. Then we drive back home. The weather is radiant. That’s nice because now we can unload everything properly at home.

 

 

After the motorhome is empty and everything is piled up in house, I start cleaning the roof of the Frankia. Not a tedious chore when the weather is so nice. It feels like spring. When the roof is clean I start cleaning everything inside while Dick continues to clean the outside of the camper. We are not in a hurry because tomorrow we will bring the motorhome to the garage in Amsterdam so we can do everything at ease. Fortunately, there is a place behind our house to park.

While Dick brings the Frankia to Amsterdam the next day, I scrub our carpet in the garden. It can dry well because the sun is shining. Rain is expected again after tomorrow.

We drove 3725 miles, the E-bikes didn’t leave the garage during this trip and despite the very cold weather we walked 112 miles.

 

In the following days, Dick books a train ticket from Paris to Hendaye early May. Before that we will spend two more days together in Paris.

So Dick can wave me goodbye from the trainstation in Paris.
My second pilgrimage will become reality.

Although my memories of the first pilgrimage are still very fresh in my mind and I think back on it a lot, the best remedy for nostalgia for a pilgrimage is to walk one again.

A short impression of my life on the “Camino Frances” – Way of St. James

August 20^th 2022 till September 23th 2022

It has been several weeks since I arrived, after a walk of almost 500 miles, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, a place of pilgrimage where, for more than 1000 years, pilgrims have been going.

A incredible experience, especially because Dick was waiting for me in front of the Cathedral of Santiago. But it also marked the end of a special hike and a return to normal life. Unfortunately I became ill the day after arrival, probably picked up a virus and developed a severe bladder infection. I couldn’t walk any further, so after spending two more days in Finisterre, Dick drove back home. There I find out that I lost weight. The scale remains at 110.67 lbs, while on departure, it really indicated 126 lbs. No wonder I was susceptible to a virus.
Fortunately, I now fully recovered and even gained 4.6 lbs.

At home in the meantime Dick has bundled my daily notes of this pilgrimage, added pictures and printed everything, so now I have a report of this (for me special) trip. Unfortunately, the size of this document, which consists of 84 pages, is too large to post this document on our website, so nothing has been published of my experiences yet. I think my daily notes would also be boring to everyone because my daily life on the Camino Frances was much the same.

I do look back on a special trip and find it difficult to describe how I experienced it. I do know that I am very grateful that I was allowed to walk this Camino (gratitude was also my reason for walking).

It was a long and at times also difficult walk. Yes often there were regular paths and even roads you walked on but there were also steep paths that led up and down and consisted more of rock slabs or loose gravel so that it was more like climbing and sliding down. At that moments I was really happy with both my walking sticks.

Before telling you something about my life on the Camino Frances to Santiago, first a little about its origins.

After the Apostle St. James went to preach Christianity in Spain, he returned to Judea where he was beheaded in the year AD 44. It is not clear what happened to his body, but a legend tells us that his body was placed in a boat that miraculously washed ashore on the coast of Galicia in Spain. Designated by a brilliant star, his body and coffin were discovered by a hermit in the 9th century. When it became clear that this was the final resting place of the apostle St. James. In Spanish his name is Santo Lago, which was shortened to Santiago. The apostle Santiago was proclaimed the patron saint of Galicia, later he even became the Patron Saint of all of Spain. A small church was built, followed by a pilgrimage. At the end of the 11^th century, construction of a cathedral started on this place in Santiago de Compostela.

At about the same time in the 9^th century, Emperor Charlemagne (Charles the Great) had a dream, calling on him to free the pilgrimage road to the tomb of the apostle Santiago in Galicia from the enemies of the Christian faith. The Emperor looked up into the night sky and saw the route to follow, the star-studded Milky Way that pointed from the north toward Galicia.

It is special when I read this because, in the early morning when it was still night, I also was led by a very bright star, which pointed the way to Santiago. It also explains the second verse of my “Ultreia” song which reads as follows:

Chemin de terre et chemin de foi           (way of earth and way of faith)
Voie millenaire de L’Europe                     (thousand years old road in Europe)
Le voie lactee de Charlemagne                (the milky way of Charles the Great)
C’est le chemin de tous les jacquets       (it is the path of all the pilgrims)

Today there are many pilgrim roads that all lead to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. The most famous is the Camino Frances. I followed this classic pilgrimage route from France to Santiago de Compostela.

My starting point was Saint Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees, where I arrived August 20^th at 6.30 am, after a rather tiring bus ride of 20 hours.

Dirkje is also on the bus, she was one of the participants in the mini pilgrimage. It’s fun because now we can chat and also begin our pilgrimage together.

Because in the pilgrim’s office here (acceuil Pelerin) the first stamp has to be obtained in our “Credential del Peregrino” (pilgrim’s passport).

But it‘s still closed and we have to wait until this office opens at 8 am. Unfortunately, everything in this town is still closed, nothing is open, not even to have a drink, so we kill the time by talking and I also walk to the Boutique du Pelerin, located opposite. In May I bought a lot of my equipment in this shop. I now can tell them that I am very satisfied with the equipment they sold.

After receiving our first stamp and having lit a candle in the church, the ascent of our first stage can really start. It’s  immediately a tough climb, after all, we have to cross the mountains of the Pyrenees.

I am so glad that Dick reserved a bed for me in Albergue Orisson. It means that, after a night of practically no sleep, we only have to climb 4.14 miles instead of 16.27 miles. The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and the sky is steelblue and I am happy. The view over the imposing mountain world is beautiful. We arrive in Orisson at 11.30 am. The rest of the day is spent by hanging out in the sun, drinking water, talking and have some sleep.

 

 

 

 

The next day, stage 2, I climb further up through the Pyrenees together with other pilgrims. The sun has given way to fog and it gives this walk something mysterious, especially when we walk along trees growing on steep slopes. After crossing the border to Spain, only a pole shows that we have left France, a steep descent starts that lasts endlessly and forms an attack on my legs. It is therefore not surprising that, when I arrive at the bottom of the valley in Roncesvalles, where Dick and I spent the night with the motorhome earlier this year, tears are streaming down my cheeks. It is still too early to check in at the Albergue de Peregrinos, but the wait is not annoying, with all the pilgrims here. We chat, laugh and drink schnapps, brought by the Croats Jago, Myra and Maria and we relax.

This waiting time allows me to get to know my fellow pilgrims better and better. Important because I will spend the next weeks with them, will walk together for a while and will meet them again in the evening in the albergue, will go shopping together and eat and stay in the same dormitory. Unfortunately, during the long walk, the group breaks up, but then I meet other pilgrims.

Actually, the daily rhythm was the same every day.
Get up, get a wet cloth over your body, and pack your backpack.

During the trip my time to get up, shifted from 6 am to 4.50 am. Not really handy because the time when it gets light also got a little later every day, so I had to walk longer and longer with my headlamp. But it was nice to go out early morning because it meant that, almost always, I arrived around noon at my destination.

Over time I noticed that I became more and more adept at grabbing everything in the dark in the dorm and putting it in my backpack. Fortunately my headlamp also had a red light which caused less nuisance for the pilgrims who were still asleep and still it gave enough light to see or I packed everything.

Have some breakfast, usually in the shared kitchen of the albergue, taking care of your feet and legs and putting on shoes.

 

 

I preferred a breakfast with yogurt or custard, but sometimes I also had a sandwich or croissant with cheese spread and salami. I almost never had a baguette because the next day it was too old.

After breakfast everyone put on their shoes, after first taking care of their feet. If needed because of blisters, feet were wrapped with Leukopor (paper tape) and in my case my legs were well lubricated with physio cream, to keep my muscles flexible. In every albergue the shoes are put in a cupboard near the entrance, so there were never smelly shoes in a dormitory nor was the floor ever smeared with dirt from the shoes.

 

 

 

Unlike the many other pilgrims who walked with me, I only got two blisters. They disappeared on their own when I wrapped it with Leukopor. After a week I did get a lot of trouble with my shinbone, had shooting pains in that leg and my leg and part of my ankle was clearly thickening.
Fortunately, there were pharmacies everywhere along the way (I have never seen a country with so many pharmacies). There, after taking a look at my leg, immediately ibuprofen ointment and ibuprofen pills (painkiller and anti-inflammatory) was dispensed.
So I was able to keep going on, although I tried to slow down, take slower steps and descend more carefully. I also wanted to stop several times earlier than the day-stage indicated. However, that never happened because the places I wanted to stay were either very dead or I arrived there already around 9 am and that was really too early to stop.

I did take a rest day in Burgos (after stage 15) to spare my shinbone.

However, when I look back on this rest day, I wonder if that goal was achieved. Although I was allowed to stay a second night in the albergue municipale in Burgos (normally you can only stay one night in a albergue) and I was able to leave my backpack in a shed.
However I myself had to leave the albergue before 8 am and could not check in again until 1 pm to get a bed.
Fortunately, Danielle from Brazil and Dewi from Indonesia also had a rest day, so the three of us could explore the city. Because everything was closed until 11:30 am (so it was completely extinct in the city), we regularly sat on a terrace that morning and had café con leche (coffee with milk). And as far as the pain in my leg is concerned, the rest day probably helped because at some point after this day, I could walk again normally without any pain.

Leave the albergue, set off and walk the chosen day stage.

 

It was important to tap water in your water bottle in the morning. I always had 1.5 quart with me which was more than enough. I soon found out that the water you could tap from the springs along the road did not taste really good. It mostly had a chlorine taste. So if it was possible, I bought the day before 1.5 quart of water con gaz (with bubbles). This water was much more pleasant to drink, especially when it got warm.

The departure was often with a group, but when I got closer to Santiago, I usually left alone. Walking together had its charm because you were regularly talking to each other about all kinds of subjects and before you knew it, you already walked a great distance. But it also turned out that walking alone and being busy with your own thoughts was very important too, it had its own charm and was quite nice. I loved that.

 

 

 

 

 

Because I always left early morning, the first hours I walked in the dark so my headlamp was indispensable. Not always nice because all the insects from the wide area flocked around your head. It became all the more pleasant when the night with its clear starry sky was slowly dispelled and the cold disappeared a little later by the sun’s rays. Usually after 5 miles (sometimes after 6 miles) we managed to find a bar where cafe con leche was available. Especially when it was cold in the early morning (the temperature regularly did not rise above 50 degrees Fahrenheit), this hot drink was very pleasant to warm up. Occasionally a tortilla or a fresh baguette with bacon and eggs or with the delicious Spanish jamon, was irresistible and I ordered that too.

Sometimes the town, that was the intended end point, turned out to be so dead that it was wiser to walk a little further. This happened several times in the second week when shooting pains regularly shot through my shinbone. Every day I decided to walk a shorter distance and therefore stop earlier, but it never happened.

Arrive at the albergue and the stay there.

Because I always left early morning, I usually arrived at the albergue before it opened. I therefore always had to wait until I could check in. I preferred those albergues where you couldn’t make a reservation, often albergues municipale (an albergue sponsored by the local municipality).

Here was: the first to come has the first bed. Another possibliblity was the donativo (an albergue, often associated with the church, where you can decide yourself what you want to pay for it. The intention is that you pay a realistic amount).

To be allowed to spend the night in an albergue on the Camino, you must be able to present a “Credential del Peregrino”, a pilgrim pass.  Because you have to present it with your passport it‘s on the name in your passport. This credential will be stamped while also a photo is taken of your passport. The latter was not really nice for people who like to protect their data, but without a picture no access.

 

Most albergues have dormitories with bunk beds, sometimes with only 6 bunk beds, but there are also albergues with 20 bunk beds or more. In the latter case, partitions are often placed between the beds so that it appears less massive. Because I was always one of the first to check in, I had one of the first beds that were issued, so I always got a downstairs bed. My age must also have played a role because the elderly have more right to a downstairs bed than the young ones. Nice because there were sometimes bunk beds without stairs where you just had to find out how to reach the top bunkbed. Nearly every albergue had a mattress and pillow covered with plastic or skai. Unpleasant to lie on, but it can be cleaned well and therefore is hygienic. Because you get a paper mattress- and pillow cover in almost every albergue when you check in, it is still good for sleeping. Fortunately I never had a bed with bedbugs. Well I found out that some people sprayed their bed thoroughly before taking it.

The albergue in Viana is somewhat different. It is a donativo and belongs to the adjacent church. If we want to check in here with a group, we are told that there are no beds. After climbing endless stairs, we arrive in a room where a row of thin sleeping mats lie on the floor. We look at each other and decide to stay here anyway. As a pilgrim you also should experience this. It is significantly more primitive than sleeping in a bed and the mats are so thin that you are actually lying on the hard, wooden floor so the next day we wake up shattered. The washroom is also somewhat limited (there is only one shower and sink) but the communal meal after the pilgrim mass, as well as the breakfast served the next day, is excellent and so this Albergue deserves that people stay here.

The procedure in an albergue, after your bed is assigned and you put your sleeping bag on your bed, is that you take a (practically everywhere) warm shower. I can tell you that, after a 6 to 7 hours walk, nothing is as wonderful, than standing under a warm shower.

The next task is to wash your clothes. Often that is a separate place near the garden, where the washing lines are, sometimes there are sinks in the garden. There are sometimes washing machines, but I only used them once (in Pamplona, ​​they were free of charge). Once the clothes hang on the clothesline to dry, the chores are done.

After arriving and washing their clothes, most pilgrims hang around, lie on their beds, chat with each other, take care of their feet and legs and sleep a bit.

 

 

I personally liked to walk around town in the afternoon. Sometimes they were very picturesque and old and of course, if not closed, I visited the local church. By 5 pm, when the shops in Spain open again, every pilgrim visit the local supermercado to buy food. Most of the albergues have a kitchen where you can prepare food or heat it in a microwave. And then you eat together. It is always nice to eat, chat and drink a glass of wine together and talk about the stage we walked and the stage to come.

It never gets late in an albergue, at 10 pm the lights go out. Occasionally, when there is a late pilgrim’s mass, after which you have a shared meal together, I could not go to bed until around 9.30 pm, but usually my bedtime was much earlier and I was in bed around 8 pm. I sleep everywhere and always and I was not bothered by the sleeping sounds of the other pilgrims so I never wore earplugs. Only once in the 33 nights that I slept in an albergue, I woke up. That was because fellow pilgrims started clapping to wake someone who was snoring very heavily. It wake me but not the snoring pilgrim.

Some impressions about the walk on the Camino Frances.

I walked the entire Camino Frances in 34 stages. I started at the foot of the Pyrenees. The first stages up to Pamplona were quite mountainous and we regularly had to climb steeply and there were steep descents. The road sometimes led through a town and over a normal path, but you also came across rock slabs on this part (but also later) that were quite difficult to climb and descend.

 

 

 

 

From Pamplona to Burgos the route was mostly hilly. There is a long and steep climb up to Alto del Perdon, I walked (climbed) it with Bertold, Andres, Dewi and Danielle so we were distracted from the climb, we were welcomed at the top of this hill by policemen from Spain (guardia Civil), France (gendarmerie) and Italy (carabinieri). Of course everyone wants to take a picture with them and have a chat.

By the way, it is striking that there are so many policemen along this Camino Frances. Even on the most remote roads you regularly see a car of the Guardia Civil driving by, the cobs always wave encouragingly at you.

After staying quite a long time on the top of the Alto del Perdon and making a lot of pictures, there are nice sculptures here, we have to start the descent and this is dramatic. There is only a dried water channel, I am so glad there is no rain, that is filled with rolling pebbles and descends steeply. You really shouldn’t have trouble with your knees and otherwise you will get it here. Without walking sticks it’s impossible to descent and only by taking very short, almost running steps, you reach the valley. Apparently I am asking too much of myself on this descent because after also walking the last 3 miles on a sunny, snow-white sandy path (without sunglasses), I pass out when I finally arrive at the albergue in Puente de la Reina. Fortunately, with the help of my fellow pilgrims, I quickly recover and after sitting in the garden for a while, I can resume my daily routine and in the afternoon even wander around the old town with Dirkje and look for a geocache.

Finding the way to the next destination is normally not that difficult because everywhere you can see either the St. James shell or a yellow arrow drawn on a house or pole, sometimes there are even stones on the road in the shape of an arrow. When they are outside, you can also ask the locals or you are on the right track (they wave in the direction where the Camino runs) or you can follow the backpacker in front of you. This is not always a guarantee that you are following the right path.

Unfortunately, none of this works if you leave early in the morning, when it’s still really dark and you’re alone on the street. The arrows are often difficult to see and once you are lost (indeed, this happened to me a few times) there is only one option and that is to open the “Camino Ninja” app which will eventually get you back on the right track.

On your way through the beautiful Spanish countryside you often come across herds of sheep. It is always a beautiful sight to see sheep pouring out like a tidal wave over the fields but I did not like it when I come across such a herd in the small streets of a village where these smelly animals almost knock you over.

 

 

 

 

And then it’s August 26^th and it’s my birthday. A large number of fellow pilgrims know that I am celebrating my 70^thbirthday today and when I get up at 5 am, I am already congratulated by Alessandra from Italia and Dirkje gives me a beautiful magnet with an image of the Camino. What a treat.

Today the distance is only about 13.5 miles, so at the end of the morning we gather at the albergue in Los Arcos.

After we have been allocated a bed, taking a good shower and the laundry is flapping on the clothesline, we take a nice picture of the women and men of our regular group and then we walk together to one of the restaurants on the main square where we raise our glass on my birthday and that of Daniella from Columbia.

She is celebrating her 27^th birthday. It is nice to be sung to by this international group of pilgrims. After this drink we also have a pilgrims dinner together. A memorable birthday and great to look back on.

We now leave almost every morning in the dark, but that is no problem with our headlamps. We are guided by a brilliant bright star and the Milkyway stretches above our heads. It is special to walk so early and it becomes even more beautiful when at some point the night gives way to twilight and then the first rays of sun illuminate our path. The clicking of our phones does not stop then.

A special place on the Camino Frances is the cathedral of Santo Domingo de Calzada, where we arrive on August 30^th  (stage 11). Immediately upon entering the cathedral I hear a rooster crowing and it continues to do so several times in succession.

Unfortunately when I later have my phone ready to record that, the rooster refuses to make any further noise.

The story behind this rooster and hen in the church is as follows:
A family on their pilgrimage in the 14^th century, spent the night in an albergue. The innkeeper’s daughter tries to seduce the son, but when he does not comply, the girl accuses him of theft and puts silver cups in his bag. The boy is then convicted and hanged. The grieving parents continue their way to Santiago. On their return journey they find out that their son is still hanging on the gallows and is alive. Apostle Santiago has held him all this time. They visit the judge who just sit down at the table to eat chicken and they tell their story. The judge answers that the boy is as alive as the fried chicken on his plate. The chicken then comes to life and the boy can leave with his parents.

From this time on, a white hen and rooster is housed in the cathedral. Every 14 days, they are exchanged with other specimens, housed in a cage in the garden of my albergue.

Between Burgos and Leon is the “Meseta”. A more than 125 miles long plateau at an average altitude of 1970 feet and the oldest part of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Spaniards describe the climate on this plain as “nine months of winter and three months of hell” or a really short and hot summer. Every day we walk the first two hours of this route in the dark, where we have to deal with cold temperatures (47 degrees Fahrenheit) at sunrise.

But the rest of the day we walk in cloudy weather or the worst heat comes when we already arrived at an albergue. We’re just lucky because it can be so terribly hot here that you’re defenseless prey to the sun. On the way through this endless meseta we walk through rolling, now harvested and therefore barren, grain fields. They alternate with fields of sunflowers. Most are brown and withered, but occasionally we also find beautiful sunflowers with perky heads raised high. But in general it is a landscape without end.

It reminds me of something I read about this place.

“Pilgrim abandons all pride here, be humble and small, feel the insignificance and merge into the mighty creation.”

Silence reigns everywhere. Except for a single twittering bird, no sound is heard. There are no houses and dogs, barking everywhere, are nowhere to be seen. Once in a while you pass a shabby looking pueblo, the streets are sandy and covered with gravel.
Although there is no one to be seen and there are many abandoned, half collapsed, mud houses, some old people still live here. Young people have already turned their backs on these pueblos.

The first two stages after Burgos are still quite pleasant to walk, which is mainly caused by the fact that the landscape is still hilly and our path meanders through it.

 

 

 

 

The differences in height that still manifest themselves here, also make it possible to take a beautiful picture, early in the morning, of other pilgrims whose silhouettes on the top of a hill stand out beautifully against the slowly lightening sky. After a steep descent into the valley I arrive in Hornillos del Camino where the albergue is next to the church.

When I’m ready to explore this small town I get a call from Jobea and Bram. They were also participants in the mini pilgrimage and have just walked a Camino. They are now planning to drive home again, but because they are practically passing the town where I am now, they want to come and say hello. I really like it and a little later I see their motorhome driving through the narrow streets. We chat with each other, have a drink, walk together to the shop to do some shopping and then say goodbye again. It was nice meeting them here.

The albergues where we spend the night are mostly located in the center near the church. Many churches have a pilgrim mass in the evening which of course we visit. After the service, the pilgrims are called forward and we are always blessed by the priest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The text: “May apostle Santiago protect you and help you on your further journey” gives a good feeling and the strength to continue this special walk.

After walking through the Meseta for many days, I arrive in Leon on September 11^th. This 22^nd stage is only 11 miles so I arrive at 10 am at the albergue, which is completely deserted at that time. You can’t say that about downtown Leon. How busy it is here. The terraces are full and crowds gather on the square in front of the large cathedral. It’s nice to walk around here. Despite Sunday, there is even a supermercado open so we (yes, here you meet all the pilgrims present in Leon) can buy the necessary ingredients to be able to have a delicious dinner in the albergue.

Leaving Leon, we leave the Meseta behind us. At first the landscape becomes hilly, but after Astorga we really climb back into the mountains. The paths are bumpy and full of rocks and large stones and on the plateaus are large moors. Just before the Cruz Ferro I stay overnight in the largely dilapidated pueblo of Foncebadon. Apart from a few albergues, a restaurant, a church and a few houses, only dilapidated and abandoned ruins can be seen. I leave the albergue of the church, when it turns out that I can check in earlier in the dormitory of the restaurant. It turns out to be a good choice because the beds are good and they have an excellent pilgrim meal. Also my walking buddies Brian and Owen stay here.

Staying overnight in Foncebadon, only half an hour from the Cruz Ferro, means that when I leave at 6 am on September 15^th (stage 26) and climb to the Cruz Ferro, it is still night when arriving.
The Cruz Ferro is located at 4922 feet and therefore a highlight on the Camino Frances. Not only literally but also figuratively speaking.

After all, here at the Cruz Ferro is the place where, for centuries, every pilgrim has left a stone (often brought from home). It is a symbol of handing over to God what you burden. As a result, a mighty cairn has formed at the foot of the long pole on top of which is the iron cross. The cairn is still growing. I also brought a stone from home, described with the text: “Live your life, Ultreia” (live your life and always go on) and place it at the foot of the cross.

 

I am extremely grateful that I am allowed to walk this Camino and that I arrive here and think about it for a moment. Then a feeling of deep joy overtakes me here. I am now part of the group of pilgrims who through the ages have done the same and shed their cares and burdens. Although it is still dark, just before I want to continue on my way, the moon suddenly appears between the clouds and Owen, who just arrived, can take a beautiful picture with the cross visible in the moon.

I feel so happy that I don’t really suffer much from the steep descent ahead of us.

From the Cruz Ferro the road goes downhill, we have to bridge 3280 feet in height and often descend over steep rock slabs.

 

 

After we have arrived again at an altitude of 1640 feet, the next two walking stages remain fairly flat. This can also be seen in the landscape because grape fields are now everywhere around us.
It is only mid-September, but here the grape harvest is already in full swing. Of course I have a chat with the grape pickers and take pictures.

 

Then, to my surprise, I am presented with a large bunch of grapes (I only have to hug apostle Santiago when I arrive). I am very grateful for it because the distance I have to walk today is almost 20 miles and the grapes, which taste delicious by the way, give me the extra boost I need.

Unlike the other parts of the Camino where the dogs bark, but are safely on heavy chains or behind fences, the dogs in Galicia run free. Fortunately, they usually don’t give me a glance when I pass them, walking along a ledge. Only once, at 5 a.m. an aggressive, barking black monster come after me. If I turn around, shout loudly at him and put out my sticks menacingly, this biting monster happily stops and I can continue on my way.

 

Before I arrive in Santiago de Compostela, I will meet Dick. He just arrived in Astorga with the motorhome and from there he can easily drive to the town of Melide to meet me on September 21^st , and we can stay there because there is a parking place for the motorhome. I’m really looking forward to our see Dick again. I’ve been out and about since August 19^th and I’ve found out that I miss Dick more and more.
So it makes sense that, when I spot him between de groups of pilgrims, we both get tears in our eyes and hug each other.

 

We have forgotten the crowds around us, we only have eyes for each other and walk incessantly talking to our motorhome, parked further away. It is great to see each other in person and we go out for a meal. In the restaurant we meet Dani from Ireland and Brian from South Korea so Dick can meet some of my hiking buddies.

The penultimate stage 33, I will spend the last night in an albergue. For the first time I have to make a reservation, which luckily works out at Albergue la Corona. From Sarria, a town about 72 miles from Santiago de Compostela, hundreds of pilgrims walk this Camino Frances. To get a Compostela, a pilgrim only has to walk 63 miles and completing the Camino is good on your curriculum vitae in Spain. The pilgrims at this moment are mostly Spaniards and are very different from those who have been on the road a longer time. The vast majority is not yet 20 years, carry ghetto blasters and makes a lot of noise. And what’s worse, I don’t recognize any of the pilgrims anymore.

When I arrive at the large square in front of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela at 11 am on September 23^rd2022, it is an emotional moment. Dick is already waiting and tears are streaming down my cheeks. We immediately walk to the pilgrim’s office. There is already a line to enter, but at this time, it is 11 am, the line is still negligible and soon I can show my “Credentials del Peregrino” at a counter.
I now have three credentials full of stamps and after a check on these stamps, I can receive my Compostela (proof that I walked this pilgrimage). It is written in my maiden name, Mathilde Nederhand, but that is oke.

Meanwhile Dick meet Danielle. She arrived a little earlier, but is still standing in the courtyard of the pilgrim’s office. Together we walk to the square in front of the Cathedral where we also meet other pilgrims and of course we take pictures. Although I am overjoyed that I arrived here safely and to be together with Dick again, I also feel a bit sad. This special Camino now really ended. After wandering around the square for a while, we walk back to the motorhome. We do not go to the 12 pm mass because it’s not allowed to enter the cathedral with a backpack. By the way, we hear from Rosie and Holly, who return from the cathedral, that entering doesn’t make much sense now. It is so crowded inside that it is not even possible to get a standing place.

In the afternoon we walk back to the center, meet Dirkje, stay some time on the square and watch the continuous flow of arriving pilgrims. Then we visit the special “Living room from the Low Lands” on the second floor at the pilgrim’s office, runned by the Dutch, where we drink a coffee and share our experiences on the Camino.

The next morning, Saturday September 24^th, we go to the Cathedral at 11.30 am. It is very busy and there is nowhere a sitting place to find. Fortunately we can sit on the edge of a pillar, in the front of the church. The sermon is unintelligible, takes a very long time and I feel sick, apparently I got a virus.

 

 

After the mass a number of men in red robes come forward and each grab a rope. We are lucky, they will swing the Botafumeiro, the largest censer in the world, through the cathedral and we look at it full of admiration, but also emotionally. What a wonderful end to a special trip.

 

 

 

 

After this event, Dick and I walk with Danielle from Brazil and Owen from the Philippines to a restaurant where we have a good meal together and after another visit to the cathedral together, now we enter through the Puerto del Perdon (this door is only open in a holy year) we say goodbye to each other and Dick and I walk back to the motorhome. There I go to my bed.

The next morning we drive to the town of Finisterre. Even though the walk to the cape is only 2 miles, I feel too sick to walk there. I am so glad that we already walked there on May 16^th and visited the end point of my journey then. Still I will have to come back to walk this last part. After staying an extra day in Finisterre, I am not sufficiently recovered and we decide to drive back home.

We follow a large part of the route that I just walked, because we want to make a stop in Saint Jean Pied de Port. Once we arrive there, we walk, again, through this nice medieval town to the Boutique de Pelerin. Finally I can say that I arrived safely in Santiago, but we can also buy walking sticks for Dick. It’s the same brand I have (they did a good job to me) but of course in a different color. The sticks are a birthday present for Dick from Hannah and Henk. I’m glad he has sticks too and I’m sure he’ll love walking with them.

 

 

Below the Compostela issued, a table with the overnight places and distances as well as the certificate of the distance walked from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago.

 

Going out again, August 2022

Dick knows me well enough to know that it’s better not to stay at home. Then I get nervous. I’ve been home for a week now after my mini-pilgrimage and already packed my backpack three times. So, we decide to go out for another two weeks with our motorhome. I quickly make a route to France and when Dick has contacted Cor, it is also certain that we will visit them in Liart on our way back. It may also be necessary to make some arrangements for the trip that Dick and Cor are going to make.

After celebrating Henk’s birthday with the family on July 29^th and a last scuba-dive in the Oosterschelde, I put everything I want to take in the RV in our living room on Sunday afternoon and on Monday, August 1^st, around noon, Dick leaves home to get our RV out of the storage. He has been gone for a while when I discover that he has forgotten the motorhome keys, so I quickly get into the car and can pick him up a little later at the bus stop in front of our car garage, after which I drop him off at the metro station and drive back home.

At 2 pm Dick is back with our Frankia and I can load the things inside that have to go with us. Meanwhile, Dick put the bikes inside and fills our water tank. At 3.30 pm we can lock our house and drive away. It is still vacation time in the Netherlands so, even though we are driving on one of the busiest roads in our country, we can continue without a traffic jam to Nuenen.

There is only one campervan parked and we have enough space to spend the night. This parking lot next to the scouting site is not special, but we know that there is always a place to park. The temperature has now risen to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and as soon as we are parked, we open all our windows wide. Later in the week this temperature turns out to be cool, then a temperature of 90 degrees and more is normal. And you must know that we don’t have airco in our Frankia. It is now 5 pm and we think we did enough, so we drink a glass of wine before I start cooking. The simple meal with Greek seasoned potatoes and small sausages (chipolatas) tastes good. In the evening we watch the news, but it doesn’t get very late because by 9 pm I am already in bed and fall asleep quickly. Dick follows a little later.

Tuesday morning, we wake up at 7 am by the sound of roaring engines driving back and forth past the motorhome. This place is popular with motorcycle driving schools, but actually they always start at 8 am. Now in high summer they apparently deviate from this time. Oh well, it’s okay because now we’re leaving early. The route through Germany is dead quiet and consists for the most part of autobahn, which means that we arrive in Hillesheim in the Vulcan Eifel at the end of the morning. It is really noticeable that we are in a volcanic area because the closer we get to our destination, the hillier it gets. It is dead quiet on the market in the center and soon we discover the parking space where motorhomes can be parked and park our Frankia there between the regular cars. Of course, we drink a cup of coffee and then, it is now noon and therefore the hottest part of the day, we walk into the town. It is really quiet everywhere and after paying for the parking at the tourist information, we walk into the hills to look for some geocaches.

 

It is warm, around 83 degrees, but on top of the mountain there is a cooling wind so we are not bothered by the fact that there are no shadow spots in the far distance. We do have to climb steeply to get to the plateau. But we enjoy ourselves, find some geocaches and have a great view over the valley. After 7 miles we are back in town. Dick walked enough today but I want to take a look around this, unexpectedly nice, old town. It is dominated by the remains of a castle and many of the walls and towers are still standing.

 

It’s special to walk along this city wall all alone. When I see an outdoor shop, I ask if they also sell point protectors for my walking sticks and if that turns out to be the case, I quickly walk back to the Frankia to get my walking-sticks. After my mini-pilgrimage, the rubber protectors were completely worn out and the spare protectors that I had received from Nel during the walk, now also shows deep signs of wear. Fortunately, the rubber protectors seem to fit so that during my big trip I no longer have to listen to the “click clack” of uncapped walking-sticks. Finally, I am back at the Frankia. We drink some soda’s and then it’s time to leave.

 

Dick has discovered a Thai restaurant. It’s nearby and with good reviews, so we walk there at 7 pm. We are lucky, there is still a table available and soon we enjoy our starter followed by Pad Thai and green curry with chicken. What a delicious food. It is still very warm and the thermometer shows 86 degrees. With a full stomach, we really had too much food, we slowly walk back to the motorhome and search for some geocaches. Again, we enjoy the city wall, which is quite impressive from the outside. It cools down very slowly inside the motorhome, so during the night we keep all our windows wide open. It feels a bit cooler towards the morning (64 degrees) and then it is nice to have a blanket covering our sheet.

Wednesday morning, August 3^rd, we don’t get up until 8 am. Despite the fact that we are parked in the center it is very quiet. As soon as we have showered and opened the door, the heat falls on us. It is already 70 degrees and it promises to be even warmer today.
After having a good breakfast and washing our dishes, we dump our gray and black water (my job) while Dick fills the motorhome with clean water and then we drive off. Soon we stop at the Réwé supermarket to return our empty bottles (German bottles can only be returned in Germany) and then we continue our way. Because we can’t buy my beloved frühstücksaft (breakfast fruit juice) this town, Dick also parks in the center of Trier for a while, but unfortunately the kind of juice I want to have is not available there either, so we drive straight through the old city of Trier where the beautiful old gate smiles at us. One day we should definitely stay longer here. The road follows the river Saar and is quiet. Only the huge campgrounds along the river are overcrowded.

When we arrive in Mettlach it is already 88 degrees and quite warm. There is really no one in this sun-drenched parking lot and we quickly park the camper along a row of trees. We’ll be able to sit down there in the afternoon. But not now because, just like every day, we go out for a walk in the heat of the day. First to the center of town where we pay for the parking at the tourist information and then we walk to the other side of the river to look for the geocache that we couldn’t find last time.

In the meantime, the cache owner has performed maintenance and so it is now easy to find this cache. Of course, we can’t resist the terrace of an ice cream shop in the center of Mettlach and soon we are both sitting at a huge ice cream, filled with fruit, that tastes delicious.

While Dick slowly walks home, with yesterday’s 5 miles with steep climbs and today’s 4 miles, he thinks he has walked more than enough. But I continue to the Aldi, a supermarket located outside of town. Not that I need anything there, but it’s good to walk still a bit, even in the heat. And so, with now 95 degrees, I walk a total of 6 miles and I manage to do this. I’m glad I’m back at the Frankia around 4.30 pm, where we drink a non-alcoholic beer. And then, yes again, I walk to the shop next to our parking lot. I buy a nice bag in which my iPad mini fits well and also find shampoo in solid form as if it is soap. Ideal of course to take with me on my trip. You only have to let it foam in your hands and massage through your hair and your hair is washed. What an invention, I buy that. Dick has now lowered our awning and despite the heat we sit comfortably under it, but it takes until late in the evening before it cools down a bit. I’m glad that a great part of the evening we will have a seat on the terrace of the Abtei Brau next door.

 

At 7 pm we walk to the restaurant. There is still enough space to sit down. You notice the difference with weekend days, now it’s really quiet. We chat with some other guests, drink the good draft beer, enjoy the warm summer evening and of course the excellent food.

It is not till 9 pm that we walk back, only 100 yards. There we sit some time outside and talk to each other before going to bed. Again, all windows are wide open and again it is warm until very late in the evening. But nevertheless, we sleep well. I now know that you don’t really sleep well when it’s cold.

 

Thursday, August 4th, we wake up around 8 am and as the Netto supermarket is already open, I buy fresh bread rolls for our breakfast. After filling up with water, which has to be done with the watering can and therefore takes some time, we drive away. On top of the cliff, we stop at a Réwé supermarket where I actually manage to buy a few bottles of frühstücksaft. Great, because this was the last place in Germany where that was still possible. Not much later we cross the river Moselle and arrive in Luxembourg. Although the fuel prices in Germany are a lot lower than in the Netherlands, in Luxembourg the fuel is still 15 cents cheaper so we fill up our fuel tanks and then continue our way through the vineyards of Luxembourg. Not for very long because again a national border appears and we enter into France. The road is still not busy and at noon we enter the marina grounds in Pont á Mouson. Here is a parking lot in the full sun.
It’s lunchtime so everything is closed and we cannot pay. The office reopens at 2 pm so we take a look around. Even though we stay in a beautiful place along the river, we cannot enter the water here to cool down (It’s a harbor and therefore forbidden to swim) and meanwhile the temperature rises to 104 degrees. So, after 1.5 hours we leave this place and drive a little further south to the town of Toul.

We stayed here years ago and I don’t remember much about it, but there is a shady spot available. Unfortunately, we have to wait a while before we can park the Frankia there because there is an ambulance having a picnic.
However, after half an hour, lunchtime is over and the ambulance leaves and we can park in the shade of the large old trees. It is now 97 degrees, too hot to walk around, so we grab our chairs and sit in the grass next to the motorhome. With a soda because we can’t get enough of drinks at this moment.
At 3 pm the sky is covered by clouds and it seems to cool down a bit. But looks can be deceiving, it is still about 95 degrees, but fortunately a few streets in the town are in the shade.

In the cathedral and the adjacent cloisters, it is wonderfully cool and we wander around there for some time. End of the afternoon we walk back to the motorhome in the still burning sun.
Fortunately, the shadow of the trees is waiting there and we can recover in that slightly cooler environment. We still keep our hiking boots on because soon we will walk back to town to have dinner.

Opposite the Turkish restaurant where we used to get food (now closed for 6 weeks due to holidays), we found a small French restaurant that looks cozy.
So, we walk there at 7 pm and because there is a table available on the terrace, we have a seat and a little later, a nice glass of wine. The street is now in the shade and there is a strong wind blowing, but it is still 73 degrees, so it is nice outside.
We both order a burger that is served with homemade chips and tastes delicious. We do not regret choosing this restaurant.

 

On the way back we see two animals in the small streams along the city wall. They look like rats but a French woman says they are not rats but they arrived here from Canada. She can’t give me the name but when we see a poster later in the week with the same animals, it turns out to be Beavers. These are clearly baby’s because by far they are not a yard long and they do not weigh 44 pounds. We look at them for a long time and thanks to the fact that my small camera has a 25 x zoom, I manage to take a picture before they suddenly disappear. At home we sit outside for a long time until it gets really dark. It stays very hot during the night and cools badly. For the first time this holiday we are really late in bed. Just as we fall asleep, it starts to thunder and the wind blows so hard that we wake up. Dick closes the roof hatches and sets the windows in ventilation position. Not long after it starts to rain hard. Now it cools down and we fall into a deep sleep.

On Friday morning we don’t wake up until 8.30 am. That’s what happens when you’re haunting so late at night. It has cooled down quite a bit and the thermometer show only 71 degrees. For the first time in weeks the sky is cloudy. When we fill up with water, our hose connection breaks and only with great difficulty Dick manage to make another connection on the hose. The diameter of this hose is many times smaller than the connecting pieces, so it will not fit. But duct tape and scalding hot water allows a makeshift repair so we can continue filling the water tank. Unfortunately, we can’t leave when the water tank is full because at the end of the narrow road a garbage truck has problems and blocks everything. But after 20 minutes everything is resolved and we can continue our way.

It is now 11.30 am. Fortunately we don’t have to drive that far and we arrive in Remiremont before noon. There is a large parking lot for motorhomes near the train-station and there is still plenty of space at this time of the day. So, we park the Frankia in a place where two of them fit (never seen so much space in France) and drink some coffee.
Even though the temperature is fortunately not so high anymore, it is only 77 degrees, Dick doesn’t like going out for a walk in the hottest part of the day, so I walk alone to the supermarket that should be further away. There is no end to the road but finally I find the market and after looking around inside (I don’t dare to buy anything because I don’t have a cooling bag with me) I walk back via another way. Although this road is considerably shorter, it is not successful as I have to walk over a narrow ridge along a busy road and also have to descend a steep slope to get back on the path home. No, then the way there was a lot better, even if it was twice as long to walk.

After we have had a cup of coffee, we walk together into the town of Remiremont. It is not very special but there is an old church with a beautiful crypt and the palaces of the abbess who lived here, are impressive. Because we don’t actually come across any suitable restaurants, we buy some lettuce and meat. Now we don’t have to go out tonight and can stay comfortably at the motorhome. Due to the dropped temperature, it is now 83 degrees, it is pleasant to sit outside and we stay outside until 7.30 pm. Inside we have dinner (lettuce with bread and meat) because in the meantime the wind started to blow and makes sitting outside very unpleasant. Although I don’t understand why the French always leave in the evening, that also happens in this parking lot and soon almost all places are empty.

We now have an undisturbed view of the railway and can see how impressive the TGV is (Train Grande Vitesse, train with high speed) because at 8 pm it is parked in front of our Frankia.
Because it cooled down, we don’t have all the windows wide open. Even on the ventilation position, enough fresh air comes in to cool the inside.

Saturday, August 6^th, we wake up at 8.30 am. The sun is already shining and it is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Really pleasant after the heat of the past few days. After our breakfast and of course the filling and dumping of our tanks we leave Remiremont. It’s Black Saturday (it’s called this name because there is a lot of holiday traffic with many accidents) and the roads are crowded with coming and going vacationers, so we’re glad we only have to drive 18 miles.
Soon we arrive in Gerardmer, a town at 2295 feet altitude, which is called the “pearl of the Vosges”. It turns out to be a picturesque place, full of tourists and situated on a lake that looks very inviting. But we don’t have time for water-pleasure. At home I solved a geocache puzzle that will take us to the coordinates of a geocache and that is our goal today. After the Frankia is parked on a huge parking lot in the middle of town, we walk towards it.

Actually, it’s more of a climb, because the road leads over a part of the route of the Tour de France and has a gradient of 13 to 16 percent. But that’s good because now I can practice walking in the mountains. As we climb higher and higher, we enjoy the view of the town and the lake is getting more and more beautiful. After we have found the geocache, we have to descent and go back to the village. This time we have an endless and steep descent and for the first time I think Dick is right when he calls me slave driver. The climb down requires a lot of our muscles and knees. For me it’s good training because in two weeks I have to cross the Pyrenees mountains but poor Dick…..
Eventually we arrive in the center of the old village with stiff muscles. To get rid of the stiffness we make a walk along the lake. It’s busy, everyone has had the same thought. This trail around the lake is therefore very pleasant.

A large rock is the end point for us and we stay there for a while before we leisurely walk back to town. After 5 miles of walking around (climbing and descending) we are back at the parking lot. While Dick takes a chair outside the motorhome, under the awning, I walk to town again, to make some extra miles and buy food for tonight. Because it gets windy late in the afternoon, we don’t stay outside. Even inside, with all windows open, it doesn’t feel very comfortable, the cold wind is no longer pleasant and at 6 pm we also close some windows. It’s just cooler here, up in the mountains.
There are many restaurants in town but we decide not to go out eating. Actually, no restaurant has the menu combination we are looking for, so we just eat lettuce and bake the small sausages that we bought in Germany. In the evening we watch some TV and we also read something before we go to bed at 10 pm, like almost every day.

On Sunday we wake up at 8 am and I go out to buy a fresh baguette from the bakery on the corner. There I am taken back to my childhood when the cuckoo clock, with a real cuckoo, calls 9 times. How funny. You used to have these clocks everywhere in Switzerland in the 60s and 70s, but afterwards I never saw such clocks in operation again. Fortunately, there is a long line at the bakery so that I can fully enjoy it.

After breakfast we leave. The back roads we follow are very quiet and we make good progress. Near our destination, the town of Vaivre et Montoille, it gets very busy. There is a biker’s festival, given the many motorcycles. We did not suspect it but to our surprise there is still a spot available in the parking lot for motorhomes and we park our Frankia there.
Of course, we drink a coffee while Dick put the coordinates of geocaches around the lake in our GPS and then, it is now noon (yes again at the hottest time of the day) we start our walk along the lake.

There are a number of geocaches hidden and a sandy path leads us along this shallow lake. It is a nice walk and there is a breeze so it’s not too hot, at least for the first half of the walk. The temperature is 77 degrees and that is good walking weather. Unfortunately, the other side of the lake is sheltered from the wind, so it is considerably warmer there. Dick is clearly more bothered by the heat than I am and the water we brought with us disappears quickly. I have to laugh when I see Dick’s face as he drinks. He doesn’t like drinking water anyway and drinking this almost “boiling” water has a special effect. Unfortunately, the only terrace we encounter is that of a restaurant. You can have a drink there, but at this moment you have to take a meal and as we don’t want to eat yet, we continue our walk. Fortunately, the walk around the lake is only 4 miles and we can relax in the motorhome a little later.

We don’t want to stay too long because inside it’s 97 degrees and therefore it is too hot. So, we leave again, now to the area next to us, where the bikers festival takes place. The festivities are already over, but it’s nice to walk past the many stalls, full of stuff for bikers and of course there is a strong American influence.

There are caps with the American flag, license plates from America and mannequins with clothing from the 50s. Given the prices that are asked for everything, it is better to pick them up in America yourself. Hopefully we are able to do that next year. Finally, after 5 miles walk, we are back at the Frankia. We put our chairs outside and sit in the shade. When the sun has set, it cools down very quickly, instead of 86 degrees it is suddenly 73 degrees. So quickly we go inside. It is now 9 pm and I don’t stay for a long time on the couch. Slowly my eyelids lower and before 10 pm we arrived in dreamland.

Monday morning, August 8th at 8 am is the sun already shining in a steel blue sky. There is no shop to be seen in the furthest distance, so no bakery either and again we have breakfast with survival bread. When we leave, we take French back roads and again we drive all alone over the French countryside. Where has everyone gone?

 

At the end of the morning, we arrive in Langres, a city built in the same way as Laon, located high on a hilltop and walled. Unfortunately, the parking for motorhomes is not really special and we decide to drive on. Our final destination will be Chaumont, where we arrive around noon. The parking here is located on a marina and despite the fact that it is a sun-drenched plain, it still looks nice. We park the Frankia along the water of the Canal and sit outside. The sun shines on the other side of the motorhome so we have plenty of shade and because there is a wind blowing, it is actually not too warm.

Because Dick’s favorite shirt is dirty, I wash it with some socks and sports tops and soon everything is hanging on the clothesline. Wind and sun work well together because everything is dry within three hours. A good test of how long it takes to dry clothes in warm weather. Dick likes it here and stays with the motorhome but I walk to the nearby supermarket. It is only one mile and easy to do and after walking back and forth twice, I have soft drinks for Dick (agrum zero and tonic zero) and food for tonight because also in the vicinity of this harbor, there is not even a restaurant in sight. And if it was here, it would be closed on Mondays.

At 8 pm I prepare some burgers; we eat them with lettuce and baguette. Hopefully it’s enough but Dick says yes. The older we get the less food we need. I completely disagree with him because I am quite hungry. But maybe that’s because of my walking back and forth. Fortunately, when we start to eat, the sun disappears behind the trees and again it cools down quickly. We stay at a very pleasant spot along the canal and it is quiet although quite a few motorhomes arrive later in the evening.

The next morning, Tuesday, August 9^th we are awake at 8 am and after breakfast (again with survival bread) Dick moves the motorhome to refuel at the water tap. It is already very busy because three French motorhomes arrived. They want to stay together and the spot in front of our motorhome is the most suitable. We don’t mind that we leave today because the silence and also our view is now hard to find. Soon we drive north on the French back roads. It is quiet again and you notice that it is still vacation time. The road leads us past endless, freshly harvested, wheat fields and only when we approach the capital of Champagne, Epernay, the first grape vines appear.

Unfortunately, the parking in Hautvillers, located in the middle of the vineyards, is too narrow and sloping for our Frankia so we cannot spend the night here and we drive on and eventually arrive in Laon end of the afternoon. There is ample space along the city wall. No wonder because it sizzles here with heat on this parking strip, but we nevertheless park the Frankia and walk to the medieval town.

Unfortunately, our favorite restaurant Agora turns out to be closed, it won’t open again until Thursday and so we are looking for another restaurant. That is not easy because in the main street all restaurants are either permanently closed or on holiday for 5 to 6 weeks. Weird they are closed in the middle of the high season. Finally, after wandering around for a long time, we find an Italian restaurant with an appealing menu. It is striking, however, while we walk around that more shops are closed permanently. Unfortunately, because the charm of wandering through a town is lost when you walk from one closed shop window to another. We also pay a visit to the impressive cathedral. It remains special that they were able to create such impressive buildings in the year 1100.

Back in the motorhome we arrive in an oven, it is so hot inside, 104 degrees. Fortunately, the wind is blowing a bit so when we open the windows, it cools down a bit inside. Oh well, we get used to this heat. When we walk to the restaurant at 7 pm, the narrow medieval streets are now blocking the sun and we walk in the shade. The terrace where we want to have dinner is also in the shade and there is a cooling wind that makes it comfortable. The food tastes good. My spaghetti with carbonara sauce is tasty and Dick’s food with a meat skewer is also very good and nicely served. After our dessert we walk back at ease through the medieval streets with cobble stones. Again, we open all our windows and not much later we fall asleep, despite the fact that inside it is still at least 90 degrees. I think the red wine is also to blame for this.

Wednesday morning, August 10^th, I walk to the bakery to get a fresh baguette. That always tastes good. And then we drive down the mountain pass to the valley, looking for a supermarket. Stupid that we never write down the coordinates of a store because now we really have to drive around before we find a large LeClerc supermarket. There is a huge parking lot but it is almost full. Fortunately, we find a spot in a corner, where our Frankia fits, and we walk inside. Everything we need to have a delicious barbecue with Cor and Esmé is present in this supermarket and not much later we are on our way again. Still with a stopover in the small town of Rozoy to dump.

Perhaps it is good that we arrive here because the rooster and chickens that roam around, are clearly looking for something. Not for people but for water and that last one flows down from our grey-water tank so they are running to the motorhome. I fill the cap of our toilet tank with clean water and in no time, it is drunk by the chickens. We did a good deed. Because it will be warmer later this day, we also put a bucket filled with water in the bushes. Now the chickens have something to drink for the rest of the day. It means that we arrive at 12.30 pm at the house of Cor and Esmé. That is not entirely without problems. The narrow road is actually only suitable for one passenger car and now we encounter a large tractor and two vans. Fortunately, it has been dry for weeks and both we and the tractor have to crawl into the verge and can just pass each other. I wonder or this is also possible in the wet season.
After a cup of coffee, Esmé and I chat, while the men focus on installing the new kitchen. Cor has already fixed the preparatory work. The ventilation, pipes and drainage are all there, but now everything still has to be put in place. Also a few problems must be solved, such as the crooked wall for which both have yet to come up with a solution. But with two technicians that is no problem and the men are making steady progress. At 7 pm it’s time to call it a day and we have a nice chat on the terrace in the garden.

It is warm, the thermometer now shows 95 degrees, so one beer is quickly followed by another. But the food tastes all the better later in the evening. Cor is really an expert with the BBQ and the burger and chicken-skewers are excellent. Even though we chat for a long time, at 11:30 pm we feel really sleepy and go to bed. We don’t even notice that our head is touching our pillow.

Thursday morning August 11^th we wake up at 7:30 am and after showering and getting dressed, Dick takes my bike out and I ride to the village of Liart to buy fresh baguettes. It is a nice trip through the meadows and the distance is only 2 miles. The only shop in the village is already crowded and a long line of people forms for the baguettes. As always, this is the case in France at the bakery.

After a good breakfast, the men are back to work in the kitchen while Esmé and I wash the dishes and then we do various chores. It’s going to be another hot day. In an hour the temperature has already risen from 68 to 77 degrees and around noon the thermometer points to 86 degrees. After I’ve updated my story on my iPad mini, I can’t resist looking for blackberries in the sweltering sun. Even though I have a stick with me, it does not prevent me from losing my footing on the steep slope of the ditch and I slide down through the thorns. Not a really handy move because both my legs are now bloody. And the blackberries…. These are scattered all over the ditch.

Hopefully the ants are happy with it. I quickly walk back to the motorhome where I clean my legs and also remove the blood and blackberry marks from my clothing. After complaining to the men (they don’t pay attention because placing the kitchen is more important) I walk outside again, follow the road a bit and find new blackberries. This time they are a lot more accessible. Finally, I have a bucket full of blackberries. They are not very tasty so after I rinse them, I cook them. I hope this blackberry puree may be tasty in the yogurt or ice cream. Unfortunately, we don’t have either one so we cannot try. Around 7 pm the men stop working, they take a shower and we have a drink on the terrace. Late in the evening I cook spaghetti while Esmé makes a salad. Dinner tastes fine to us. When the big full moon rises above the row of trees we go to bed and sleep like roses.

Just like yesterday, we wake up on Friday morning at 7.30 am and again I cycle to the village of Liart in the still cool morning, to arrive a little later with croissants and fresh baguettes. We have breakfast together, chat and then Dick and I leave. In Revin we stop to dump, always important if we stayed in the same place for a few days. Of course, we also buy some groceries and fill up with fuel. The diesel in France is still cheaper than in our country. I also sniff around in the bazar next to the parking lot and there I find what I have been looking for, for a long time. A granite funerary monument for my parents’ grave.

Via Facetime I show it to my sister Hannah who likes it too and so I buy it and walk back to the motorhome. You find such small monuments on all graves in France and now we will place one at my parent’s grave.

It is now at least 95 degrees, but we also want to look for a few geocaches. To my surprise, we find a spot on the boulevard in Bergen op Zoom to park. For the first time we arrive here in high summer and it is busy. But also, cozy.

It is good outside because here, along the coast, some wind is blowing. We also could park the Frankia largely in the shade of the tall trees along the boulevard and it is not really hot inside either. Now that we are parked next to a small lake, I can try out whether it is possible to swim in shirt and underpants, instead of a bathing suit. In particular, I want to know if I don’t look really ridiculous. So, towards the evening I put that on. If it can go through, Dick has to take a picture, then I won’t take a swimsuit on my Camino walk. My thin white shirt is too transparent, but my green yellow Camino shirt, that Hannah and Henk gave me, is fine. Now I know this too.
Until late in the evening we sit outside, eat food from a Turkish restaurant, watch all the people strolling on the boulevard and enjoy the sunset. We don’t go to bed before 11 pm.

The next morning, we get up at 7.30 am, have breakfast with our last survival bread and then we drive home. It is getting warmer and warmer but compared to the temperature in our house, it is 102 degrees there, it’s cool outside. Yet we are getting warmer by carrying stuff back and forth. Not everything goes inside our house. We leave some clothes in the motorhome. After all, Dick will be taking it out again next week. Unfortunately, the parking lot behind our house is so busy with cars and caravans, returning from vacation, that we can’t park our Frankia here overnight. So as soon as Dick has cleaned the carpet with soap (now it can dry in the hot sun) he drives the motorhome to the storage. We did not clean it outside, currently that’s not allowed due to the persistent drought and heat, but it’s clean inside and the beds are covered with fresh bedding, so Dick and Cor will be able to move in next week.