Fromista had been a breadbasket farm area since Celtic times until being destroyed by the Moors and later rebuilt in the 12th century. In spite of being a successful market town in the 15th century, the town declined until a revival in 1773 when the canal brought water and again allowed agriculture to thrive. Rain,Continue reading “Fromista”
Author Archives: janeinspain.blog
Shout out to Jenny & Chris at Skads Travel!
It’s WEDNESDAY! Chris and Jenny are my favorite co-workers and I miss our Wednesday morning “staff” meetings. Wish you guys were here! I’m way over in Reliegos, Spain … Last night Theresa and I walked down the street to Bar Elvis where we met a nice couple from Minnetonka, Minnesota of all places!! It’s aContinue reading “Shout out to Jenny & Chris at Skads Travel!”
Itero de Vega
Monday, September 13, 2021: The plains of the Meseta were flat and easy to walk … until today. It was another hot sunny day and the trail started out flat but off in the distance I could see a pathway going up a large and steep looking hill. Surely that was not our route. ThisContinue reading “Itero de Vega”
Castrojarez
Sunday, September 12, 2021: This is one of my favorite walks so far! We started packing up around 6:30 am when it was still dark out. We started walking a little before 8:00 am when the sun was just starting to come up. So the story goes … the road to Castrojarez leads to theContinue reading “Castrojarez”
Hontanas
Saturday, September 11, 2021: This is the entrance to the “Muni” in Hontanas which is a small village with a population of 70. Next stop is Castrojarez, a village built on a steep Mesa topped with the ruins of a castle.
Tardejos and Hornillos
Thursday, September 9, 2021: Tardejos has a population of about 850. The town’s church had a giant size stork nest on top. The stork took off flying over the buildings. As I was walking away a woman came and unlocked the church doors so I stopped in to check it out. The churches always haveContinue reading “Tardejos and Hornillos”
The Meseta
Due to time constraints, Theresa and I skipped the Meseta when we walked the Frances in 2017. We are excited to discover this unique piece of Iberia. The Meseta is a geographical area within the region of Castilla and Leon – the largest region in Spain. The Camino Frances crosses The Meseta between the citiesContinue reading “The Meseta”
The Bus to Burgos
It’s a 2-1/2 hour bus ride from Madrid to Burgos. The people of Spain take Covid and mask wearing seriously. Everyone wears masks! They are required inside all buildings. When walking around outside, over half the people are masked. You don’t see anyone with their nose hanging out either. As of today, 74.6% of theContinue reading “The Bus to Burgos”
No Agenda Today!
The first day in Spain is to acclimate. Let the body recover from the stress of leaving home, the long flight and the time change. Absorb the energy of Madrid and lean into the culture. Iberico Belotta hams come from pigs that feast on acorns. The favorite pastime of Iberico hogs is rooting around theContinue reading “No Agenda Today!”
Welcome to Spain!
So we survived the flight and sailed through Immigration and Customs just fine. It was 9:30 am in Spain, but my legs knew better … in Minneapolis time was about 4:00 am. Onward to Puerto del Sol in central Madrid. We took the Renfe train which is faster than the Metro subway system. The costContinue reading “Welcome to Spain!”
Global Travel: The New Normal
Our last trip to Spain was exactly two years ago and it was a lot simpler all the way round. Just as 911 changed travel in 2001, Coronavirus is changing the way we travel now. There are several new procedures required and I’m thinking that some will fade away and some will become the newContinue reading “Global Travel: The New Normal”
Hijacked by the Pandemic in 2020
Almost two years have passed since Theresa and I returned from walking Camino Ingles and volunteering as greeters at the albuergue in Ribadiso. We had planned to return to Spain in September 2020. And like many others, our plans were hijacked by the Coronavirus Pandemic. We waited patiently for travel to Spain (and everywhere else)Continue reading “Hijacked by the Pandemic in 2020”
Ribadiso: Our Last Day
15 October 2019 Today is our last day as volunteer Hospitaleras at the albuergue in Ribadiso. As hosts, we enjoyed greeting hundreds of guests from all over the world while staying at this historic albuergue that has been welcoming visitors since 1523. Now it’s time to say goodbye. We’ve gotten used to candlelight breakfasts. ThisContinue reading “Ribadiso: Our Last Day”
Ribadiso: Monday Monday
14 September 2019 Today it is more than just cold rain, it is a downpour. It rained most of the night and the Rio Iso is rising. The water is moving much faster than before. Most of the pilgrims have stopped walking for the day Dark skies all day long accompanied by rain most ofContinue reading “Ribadiso: Monday Monday”
Ribadiso: A Cold Rainy Sunday
Ribadiso Albuergue 13 October 2019 Fall is definitely settling in here. The days are getting shorter. It’s dark at 8:00 am and dark at 8:00 pm. It’s windy, cold and rainy. Not a good day for pilgrims to be walking today. Sunday morning is very quiet at Meson Rural. One of my priorities today isContinue reading “Ribadiso: A Cold Rainy Sunday”
Ribadiso: Fiesta National de Espana 2019
Ribadiso, Albuergue 12 October 2019 Happy National Spain Day! Today is a national holiday that WHAT?? Commemorates Christopher Columbus?? I guess we still kind of have remnants of that in the US too but they are trying to call it Indigenous People’s day or something like that. We were a little disturbed with the originsContinue reading “Ribadiso: Fiesta National de Espana 2019”
Ribadiso: A Trip to Melide
Ribadiso Albuergue 11 October 2019 It’s Friday morning and we leave next Tuesday. Our time in Ribadiso is running out. This morning we are going to visit the little town of Melide which is about six miles away. We had stayed in Melide three years ago when we walked Camino Frances. Two camino routes meetContinue reading “Ribadiso: A Trip to Melide”
Ribadiso: Many Visitors Today
Ribadiso Albuergue 10 October 2019 It’s another beautiful day in Ribadiso. It has been an amazing experience to be staying in this beautiful countryside with a babbling brook flowing under a 6th century Roman bridge that leads to our 16th century accommodations. I feel so fortunate to experience this in addition to having the opportunityContinue reading “Ribadiso: Many Visitors Today”
Ribadiso: Sunshine after a Rainy Day
Ribidiso Albuergue 9 October 2019 It’s Wednesday in Ribadiso! The sun is out and it’s warm compared to yesterday when it rained and was cold. When the sun is shining there is more pilgrim traffic. First Pilgrim to Arrive Today: Bradley from Virginia. He’s familiar with the Midwest because he went to grad school inContinue reading “Ribadiso: Sunshine after a Rainy Day”
Ribadiso: The Féria Comes to Town
Ribadiso Albuergue 8 October 2019 This Tuesday in Arzua is Féria! It happens on the 8th and 22nd of each month. It’s kind of a festival market. Our American Pilgrims on the Camino contact person, Annie who is an American who lives in Santiago, said we should go and experience it because it’s part ofContinue reading “Ribadiso: The Féria Comes to Town”