Camino Stage 6: On feet and footwear.

I am a week out from setting off for the next stage of my camino. For any pilgrim or walker, the question of how their feet are, and what they will wear on them, is of prime importance. I thought I would share my experience with feet and footwear (without gory pictures, I hasten to …

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Camino Stage 5: Day 13 – Bayonne to Southwell

Once the walking stops, then I am keen to get home. But while I could rearrange two elements of my journey, Eurostar remained stubbornly immoveable, except at an outrageous price.  Anyway, I woke silly early and could not get back to sleep, so I was first; first to be packed and ready, first at breakfast, …

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Camino Stage 5: Day 12 – Bayonne

The pilgrim hostel Yvette and Miriam, the hospitalières The day starts early in a pilgrim hostel. Everyone (bar one very heavy sleeper) was up and about from 6 am, and one woman left at 6.45 am! The rest had a light breakfast of coffee and bread and jam, and we're away before 8 am. The …

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Camino Stage 5: Day 11 – Beyries to Orthez to Bayonne

Today was a day of delights. After heavy rain, mists and fog, it was such a joy to walk in sun and shade. It never got too hot, but it brought all the surrounding landscape to life. A green lane near Sault de Navailles Undulating countryside sometimes gave us wonderful views of the mountains and …

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Camino Stage 5: Day 10 – Hagetmau to Beyries

My first view of the Pyrenees Today was a gloriously sunny day, dominated by the majestic outline of the Pyrenees on the horizon. France and northern Spain have had one of the wettest Easters in memory, and that will no doubt have added to the snow on the high peaks. As you can see, even …

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