Camino de Santiago with Jeff and Louis

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Camino de Santiago with Jeff and Louis Experience Spain and the Camino de Santiago on foot, by bicycle and using public transport
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2023.06.05 Monday Pola de Allande to Grandas de Salime 39,9 km.Our stay at Hotel Nueva Allandesa at 49€ for the night wa...
14/09/2023

2023.06.05 Monday Pola de Allande to Grandas de Salime 39,9 km.

Our stay at Hotel Nueva Allandesa at 49€ for the night was pleasant and we had a great dinner for 14€ for two, including two beers at Restaurant Lozano around the corner.

Some unexpected work items came up and we decided to get our laundry done in the morning and attend to the work from one of the cafes.

We put our laundry in one of the washing machines at La Lavanderia de Pola (3€ to wash and 2€ to dry) and took residency at Café Centro Pizzeria Pola de Allande next door.

We decided to either find transport to Grandas de Salime or stay another night in Pola de Allande.

The cafe owner was super helpful and we took the 16h15 bus to Grandas de Salime from outside the laundromat for 8€50 each.

The route took us through spectacular countryside and over a mountain.

The profile picture of the route gives a very concise explanation for the presence of so many Peligrino Taxis in the town!

The bus trip trip took slightly more than an hour and a half. It was evident that the driver worked in the South African minibus taxi industry at some point. An exhilarating experience to say the least.

We managed to find a private room, with an ensuite bathroom at the recently renovated Albergue Porta de Grandas for 38 €.

Our feelings of guilt for taking the bus disappeared with the assistance of pizza and beer at the tavern next to the church. It had 3 tables inside and 4 outside. We had a great evening with the local residents and their dogs. The owner and his daughter were great hosts.

Grandas de Salime is geared for festivities and there is a large communal braai facilities in Parque Principe de Asturias.

2023.06.04 Sunday Campiello to Pola de Allande 18,33 kmWe had a great stay at Albergue Casa Herminia and after a hearty ...
06/07/2023

2023.06.04 Sunday Campiello to Pola de Allande 18,33 km

We had a great stay at Albergue Casa Herminia and after a hearty breakfast left in the direction indicated by the yellow arrows.

The path went through farmland and some forests.

Our first stop was Alojamiento-Albergue Los Hospitales, 8km away. The Claras were ice cold and the taps welcome.

After a short rest and refilling our water bottles, we headed of to Polla de Allande, our destination for the day.

The descent into Polla de Allande was steeper than anticipated and we took our time to prevent any foot injuries.

Samsung and Google disagreed as to how far we walked, clearly Samsung, with the further distance of 18,33km was correct.

We spotted several taxis with Camino signage as we entered the town and the reason for their abundance would become clear the following day.

2023.06.03 Saturday Salas to Tineo to Campiello 29,6 kmWe had an early morning start and headed towards Tineo where we p...
02/07/2023

2023.06.03 Saturday Salas to Tineo to Campiello 29,6 km

We had an early morning start and headed towards Tineo where we planned to have breakfast before continuing to where the day took us.

The Camino Route along this section generally does not go through the villages and our water supply became problematic because several fountains along the way were not operational and we were not able to purchase additional drink.

The area is beautiful and varied. We passed through forests, grassland and over hills from where the views were spectacular.

We met the three-armed giants a couple of times who seem to be guarding the hilltops.

We ran out of water somewhere before Campiello and headed to a farmhouse for assistance.

The farmer was hospitable and chatty and filled our water bottles with ice cold water.

A thunderstorm was brewing, and we decided to stop at the next albergue that had space for us.

Fortunately, we found one in Campiello, 5 km down the road and only got slightly wet.

The albergue only ad private rooms left for which they charged us 38 Euro for the night.

The accommodation was clean, the food excellent and the staff great. The dining room was busy, and we were able to talk with several other pilgrims.

There were a few young pilgrims from the USA and a couple from Norway.

It was a pleasant but tough day.

2023.06.02 Friday Oviedo to Grado to SalasWe left the apartment in San Roman, Oviedo early and walked to the Oviedo Bus ...
07/06/2023

2023.06.02 Friday Oviedo to Grado to Salas

We left the apartment in San Roman, Oviedo early and walked to the Oviedo Bus station (1,1 km).

We deposited 5€20 into a ticket dispensing machine for 2 bus tickets to Grado. The machine decided to take our money without dispensing the tickets and a trip to the ticket office was required.

The lady at the counter was very helpful, found our purchase on the computer system and printed the tickets for us. Afterwards she left the counter and placed an out of order sign on the defective machine.

The bus ride was uneventful and we were able to stay out of the rain for the 40 min ride to Grado.

The 21 km walk from Grado to went through beautiful farm land with great views over the landscape. Our wet weather gear came in very handy.
Drinking water was problematic on this section and we decided to upgrade our water bottles going forward. The Camino route avoids the small towns on this section and there were no shops to purchase drinks. Water fountains were few and far between.

Our first stop in Salas was Café Arabica where we had a couple of Clara con Limons before heading to our accommodation, Albergue Valle del Nonaya in the old town.

Reception was great and after settling in we went for a walk through the old town and had dinner on the church square.

2023.06.01 Statues around OviedoOne of the tourist things you can do is see how many of the statues you can find. Would ...
04/06/2023

2023.06.01 Statues around Oviedo

One of the tourist things you can do is see how many of the statues you can find. Would be great if anyone seeing this has photos and the names of ones we have missed.

2023.05.31 Buildings of Oviedo
01/06/2023

2023.05.31 Buildings of Oviedo

2023.05.30 Campo de San Francisco in OviedoA beautiful public park with no fences in Asturia, Spain.
31/05/2023

2023.05.30 Campo de San Francisco in Oviedo

A beautiful public park with no fences in Asturia, Spain.

2023.05.29 Late lunch in OviedoFood in Spain is really cheap if you eat at restaurants where the locals tend to go. We h...
29/05/2023

2023.05.29 Late lunch in Oviedo

Food in Spain is really cheap if you eat at restaurants where the locals tend to go.

We had the meal in the photos at a restaurant near the Oviedo university for 24 Euro.

A bottle of red wine, two 500 ml bottles of lemonade, bread for the table, Asturian stew, spaghetti carbonara, crumbed pork fillet stuffed with ham and cheese, calamari & chips, chocolate custard tart, chocolate mouse and coffee.

Great value for money and a lot of good quality food.

2023.05.25 Thursday, Llanes to Ribadesella, 30,4 kmIt was a rainy and overcast day and we sadly focussed on getting to R...
28/05/2023

2023.05.25 Thursday, Llanes to Ribadesella, 30,4 km

It was a rainy and overcast day and we sadly focussed on getting to Ribadesella rather than enjoying the view. We arrived way too early to check in and moved into a local bar opposite our hotel to avoid the weather.

We were very concerned that we may have made a mistake in booking the hotel. It looked like an old small town railway station in South Africa from the outside that could do with a lick of paint.

We were pleasantly surprised when we checked in. The hotel furnishings and feel was from the 1980s. It was however immaculately maintained and clean.

The gentleman at reception was welcoming and we had a nice view from our bedroom.

After our afternoon nap we discovered that the weather has cleared and went to explore around town.

The main activities seem to be surfing and boating. The town was quiet since the surf season only kicks off mid June.

We have noticed that railway lines are generally not fenced off in Spain. It appears as if parents are responsible for educating their pets and children regarding the dangers involved.

Breakfast at the hotel was excellent.

2023.05.24 Wednesday, Comillas to LLanes, 45,7 km.Fantastic English weather, light rain but no sleet. The bus shelters w...
28/05/2023

2023.05.24 Wednesday, Comillas to LLanes, 45,7 km.

Fantastic English weather, light rain but no sleet.

The bus shelters were great for hiding from the weather and meeting other people on the Camino. We met an Australian couple with the rare distinction of actually being born in Australia.

Our first stop, other than for the bus shelters was San Vincente de la Barquera. We got our laundry done, had some pinchos (bar snacks with a bread base), and went on our way.

Our final destination was LLanes where we stayed at Hotel Posada del Rey.

Llanes is a fishing port dating back to the 13th century. It is a well maintained historic town with some beautiful beaches nearby.

We discovered that there was an excellent psychology practise in town, Confiteria Vega. They specialise in mood stabilisation at the risk of causing diabetes.

Posada del Rey was a nice hotel in a very old building. We stayed in a loft room with views over the rooftops. It felt a bit like living on the 101 Dalmatian movie set.

2023.05.21 Sunday, Santillana del Mar to Comillas, walked 29,19 km 39 314 steps.  Today was a record day for us in terms...
23/05/2023

2023.05.21 Sunday, Santillana del Mar to Comillas, walked 29,19 km 39 314 steps.

Today was a record day for us in terms of the distance walked.

According to Samsung we walked 29,19 km and took 39 314 steps.

We followed the Camino route signs and took the footpaths in preference to the main roads.

Our day started with light drizzle which cleared after about 5 km.

Our first stop was Las Sopeñas where we had breakfast.

The footpaths took us through magnificent farmland, to the beach and through a number of small villages.

We did not stop for lunch and ended up at Café Bar Transilvania where we had drinks before heading to our accommodation, Apartamentos Mar Comillas on the hillside.

After unpacking and showering we headed into the town for an early supper.

Supper on the square was great and we decided to take a walk around town before heading back to our apartment.

We will be staying at the apartment for 3 nights because of work commitments and will do grocery shopping in the morning.

Spend for 2 for the day was 115€ (food & lodging)

2023.05.20 Saturday, Santander to Santillana del Mar, walked 6,5 km, travelled 35,9 km.  It was a cold, wet day and we m...
22/05/2023

2023.05.20 Saturday, Santander to Santillana del Mar, walked 6,5 km, travelled 35,9 km.

It was a cold, wet day and we mostly used the local Cantabria bus to get from Santander to Santillana del Mar.

A bus ticket cost 2€70 and there were 11 stops along the way. It was a very pleasant way to experience the hamlets along the route.

Our first stop in Santillana was Fundación Jesús Otero. The artwork is displayed in a beautiful garden and inside the manor. Most of the work is in stone.

Our second stop was Palacio de Velarde, where we took a guided tour. This palace was built for Alonso de Velarde, a prominent Inquisitor (judge) during the Spanish Inquisition. The displays are exquisite and some of the history is depicted using holograms and cinematography.

We received a great history lesson that led to some internet research later. Surprisingly almost none of this dark history is to be found on google if you search in English. A little more is available if you search in Spanish.

We took some photos at Museo de la tortura - Inquisición and headed to our hotel, Hospederia Santillana.

It is a beautiful small hotel set on the side of a hill overlooking the valley. Our room even had a balcony.

There are a lot of specialised luxury food shops in the old town offering chocolates, marmalades, cured meats, cheeses, oils etc.

Dinner was hamburgers, chips and pancakes. Their version of pancakes was large flapjacks.

Spend for 2 for the day was 88€35 (transport, food & lodging).

2023.05.19 Noja to Somo to Santander Friday 6,8 km walked, 29 km travelled.Carrot cake, croissants, biscuits and coffee ...
22/05/2023

2023.05.19 Noja to Somo to Santander Friday 6,8 km walked, 29 km travelled.

Carrot cake, croissants, biscuits and coffee for breakfast.

We needed a place to work on our laptops and moved into Restaurante la Casona for 4 hours.

An ALSA bus took us to Estacion autobuses de Santander in just less than an hour for 4€40 each.

Our hotel, Pension Figon was a 600m walk from the bus station. It is basic but clean hotel situated within walking distance of what we want to do.

We left our luggage in our room and headed to Los Reginas de Santander from where we took the ferry to Somo via Pedreña. The ride took 30 min and a return ticket costs 5€50.

Somo is a surf town with much of the activity focused around the beach. We strolled around town and then took the ferry back to Santander.

We followed the promenade past Centro Botin and ended up in Plaza Alfonso XIII where the calle Jeando food festival was happening.

The rest of the evening was spent at the festival listening to live music and sampling the food and drink.

Spend for 2 for the day was 96€20 (transport, food & lodging).

2023.05.18 Laredo to Santoña to Noja Thursday 14,3 km.We walked 4,6 km from Restaurante Orio to Barca del Puntal de Lare...
22/05/2023

2023.05.18 Laredo to Santoña to Noja Thursday 14,3 km.

We walked 4,6 km from Restaurante Orio to Barca del Puntal de Laredo - Santoña and took the boat to Santoña.

It was quite an experience. We anticipated a ferry but rather it was a water taxi. The boat picked us up from the beach by extending a gangplank onto the sand. A group of cyclist joined us and we headed off to Santoña. The trip took 20 min and cost 2€50 each. The cyclists were charged 5€ each.

Our early lunch stop was Café Bar Everton where we had coffee and beer and they threw in some free tapas. The staff was welcoming and their bathroom facilities were clean. After more beer, coffee and tapas we walked the last 9,7 km to Noja.

We decided to stick to the road and not use the Valverde footpaths mostly because we were trying to avoid walking over the hills.

We arrived in Noja too early to check into our hotel and paid the tourist information centre a visit where we had our pilgrim passports stamped. The stamps are called sellos but pronounced sejos.

After drinks on Plaza de la Villa (village square) we visited Iglesia de San Pedro and took some photos.

Hotel Las Olas is situated directly opposite the main beach, Playa de Trengardin. The staff was great and our room was well appointed., We even had a view of the ocean from our bathroom.

Our laundry was done at Colada Exprés while we had coffee and biscuits across the street. The whole process including tumble drying took about an hour.

The restaurants in Noja were over priced and the food mediocre.

The pastry shops and bakeries on the other hand offered quality and value for money.

Spend for 2 for the day was 116€ (laundry, food & lodging).

2023.05.17 Castro-Urdiales to Liendo to Laredo Wednesday 25 km.The N634 takes us to Liendo (18 km) where we turned right...
20/05/2023

2023.05.17 Castro-Urdiales to Liendo to Laredo Wednesday 25 km.

The N634 takes us to Liendo (18 km) where we turned right into Calle Iseca Vieja. We follow the Camino signs to the top of Diseminado Isequilla, were the road came to an end. A footpath to the right of the house at the end of the road took us into the forest and up to the Ermita de San Juilan Ruins.

We took the gravel road past Playa de San Julian to its ends at the edge of the cliff above Ensenada Erillo. We turned left onto the Sendero Valverde a Playa San Julian footpath which took us to Casona de Don Diego.

We walked along Calle el Regatillo to Monumento de Camino de Santiago, where we ate our packed lunch and refilled our water bottles. We then followed Calle el Regatillo into the old city and continued to the tourist office.

Finding accommodation turned out to be a bit of a challenge and we eventually found a room above Restaurant Orio. The room was basic, clean and expensive for what it was, at €60 for the night.

Not all accommodation is listed on booking.com or google and it is worth getting advice at the tourist office.

We took local bus 3156 to Delfin Verde at 1€55 to explore the area and save on the walking.

Footpaths are often not on google maps and one needs to rely on the Camino signs and local maps from local tourist offices.

Spend for 2 for the day was 105€ (transport, food & lodging).

2023.05.14 Pobeña to Castro-Urdiales Sunday 15 kmWe took route verde that follows the coast. The weather wasn’t great wi...
16/05/2023

2023.05.14 Pobeña to Castro-Urdiales Sunday 15 km

We took route verde that follows the coast. The weather wasn’t great with the temperature hovering around 15 degrees C and occasional light rain.

The route took us back to the beach where we left the tarred road and entered the forest. The path begins with a steep staircase leading to a walkway at the edge of cliff overlooking the ocean. The road follows the coast and goes through a number of tunnels before turning inland towards Ontón.

The path joins the N-634 to Castro-Urdiales about 1 km before Ontón. We walked along the N-634 to Mioño where we turned left and entered Castro-Urdiales via the Valverde tunnel.

We were starving and our first stop was Burger King on the Promenade.

Having restored our sugar levels we checked available accommodation on Booking.com and decided that we would stay at Pension Catamaran.

We walked to the hotel and asked what their cash price was. This time the cash price was significantly less than the Booking.com price so we paid cash rather than book online.

We booked for 3 nights since we had some work obligations and rain was predicted for the next two days. This also gave us the opportunity to get our laundry done and to do some sight-seeing.

Louis met an elderly lady and her 17 year old dog, Morto, at the laundromat. She was very engaging and eagerly assisted him with his Spanish pronunciation.

We discovered that the only difference between a Café con lechė and a cappuccino was the price.

We bought plastic cutlery sets from Eroski for 2€19 so that we can prepare our own padkos from supplies bought at supermarkets.

This was a very tough 15 km walk because of the terrain and the weather.

2023.05.13 Bilbao to Portugalete to Pobeña Saturday 24,7 kmBilbao to Portugalete 13,6 kmAfter coffee and chocolate biscu...
15/05/2023

2023.05.13 Bilbao to Portugalete to Pobeña Saturday 24,7 km

Bilbao to Portugalete 13,6 km

After coffee and chocolate biscuits at the hotel our Camino started. Our route took us to the Guggenheim museum, through Parque Republica de Abando and across the Nervion river. We walked along the river to Puente de Viscaya and crossed by hanging ferry into the Portugalete old city.

There were 3 options to cross the river: The pedestrian walkway at the top of the bridge, the hanging ferry, or by boat. The section from Bilbao to Portugalete is flat and it was a brisk and easy walk. We spent some time taking photos near the Guggenheim and in Portugalete.

Portugalete to Pobeña 11,1 km

The walk to Pobeña started with a steep climb out of the port area. Fortunately there were a number of travellators to assist us up the hill.

At the end of Portugalete we enter an extensive network of pedestrian paths that take you safely over the highways and into farmland.

The pedestrian route continued through the farmland until it reached the coastal town of La Arena.
There were many drinking fountains and picnic spots along the way, some of which even had bicycle service points.

We had lunch at La Mala Juana in La Arena at 11€10 for both of us.

After lunch we continued along the promenade until we reached the main beach. We were tempted to stop at the beach bar from where the smell of cinnamon wafted towards us.

We entered Pobena via a footbridge and found our way to Albergue de Pobeña where we were met by a very friendly and helpful hospitalaria (female who manages the place).

This Albergue is a donativo, meaning that there is no fixed price for the accommodation, you donate whatever you feel is appropriate. There were 2 dormitories with 20 beds in each. The facility was neat and clean.

We decided to stay at casa rural Mugarri in the village. We got the keys from Tapas Bar Mugarri in the village.

We had a shower and then took a walk through the village and had coffee at Bar Restaurant Itxaspe where we would later have supper.

The restaurant served an extensive peregrine menu for 12€ per person. The meal consisted of a bottle of wine/water, a 1st plate (Primero), a second plate (Segundo) and dessert (Postre).

It should be noted that the 1st plate is NOT a starter portion, it is a full main course. The meal and service were excellent.

We enjoyed our stay at casa rural Mugarri, especially the view from our room.

2023.05.12 Madrid to Bilbao FridayWe walked 900 m from Casa Lemus to bus stop 71 on Plaza de Cibeles, and took bus 203 t...
14/05/2023

2023.05.12 Madrid to Bilbao Friday

We walked 900 m from Casa Lemus to bus stop 71 on Plaza de Cibeles, and took bus 203 to the Airport for 5€, a 20 min ride.

Iberia flight IB0426 took us to Bilbao in 1h05 at R430 for a one way ticket. We used their paperless cell phone check in system and it worked brilliantly.

We took bus A3247 from directly outside the arrivals terminal to Gran Via for 3€, a 35 min ride.

We then walked across the traffic circle to Moyua metro station and took the metro to Casco Viejo, 5 min at 1€70.

A 350 m walk and we arrived at Basque Boutique Hotel on calle de la Torre in the old city.

We checked in and had lunch at Café Bizuete, 50 m away for 16€70.

It is situated next to the Catedral de Bilbao and we used the opportunity to get our pilgrim passports stamped.

We then took a 3 min walk to Arriaga tram station and rode the tram from end station to end station to get a view of the city along the river. A single ticket costs 1€50. It is a cheap and easy way to see the city.

Returning to Arriaga we strolled through the old city and had café con leche at tapas bar Kapikua.

Jeff saw on his phone that Café Lago, 50 m down the road, had excellent reviews and we decided to have supper there. The food, atmosphere and service were excellent.

Basque Boutique hotel is a beautiful hotel with well-appointed rooms and great staff. Again our main consideration when choosing the hotel was its location.

It is 50 m from the Cathedral where we needed to get our Pilgrim Passports stamped, 250 m from the nearest tram station and 350 m from Metro Casco Viejo station.

We found that carefully choosing where we stay saves us transport costs and time.

2023.05.08 to 2023.05.11 MadridOur first day started with some tech shopping. We discovered that one of our laptop plugs...
13/05/2023

2023.05.08 to 2023.05.11 Madrid

Our first day started with some tech shopping. We discovered that one of our laptop plugs was not compatible and we bought another from Media Market.

To make local calls and have internet access when outside free Wi-Fi zones we purchased a data and call package from Vodafone at 15€. That gave us 100 gigs of data and 800 min airtime for local and international calls.

We decided to spend 5 days in Madrid at the start of our Camino to settle into the Spanish culture and way of life.

During this time we walked extensively in the old city, visited Parque de El Retiro, Museo Nacional del Prado, San Jeronimo el Real, Monumento a Goya, Catedral de la Almudena and Palacio Real de Madrid, Congreso de los Diputados, Teatro Real Madrid and Parque de Recoletos.

Our most expensive meal came to 28€ for two. We found that you could have decent meal for around 6€50 per person. A 500 ml beer costs anything from 2€50, a 330 ml soft drink from 31 euro cents and a café con leche (coffee with milk) as little as 1€70.

We only take clothing for 4 days and did laundry once at a cost of 7€ for both of us. This included detergent, washing and tumble drying.

We stayed between the Prado and the Palace and had no cost in Madrid other for getting to and from the airport.

2023.05.07 Doha to Madrid SundayWe took the unmanned shuttle train to our departure terminal. Our Qatar flight departed ...
13/05/2023

2023.05.07 Doha to Madrid Sunday

We took the unmanned shuttle train to our departure terminal. Our Qatar flight departed at 07h50 and landed at Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas Airport, on time at 14h25.

Bus 203 from directly outside the arrivals terminal 4 takes us to Plaza de Cibeles. The trip took 15 min at a cost of 5 €. We bought the tickets on the bus using cash (efectivo), we could also pay with your bank cards or cell phones.

A short walk along Gran Via took us to Casa Lemus on Calle de Hortaleza. We were able to secure an online booking at 48€ for 2 people per night. The reception staff were excellent.

We chose this location because it was within easy walking distance to what we wanted to see and experience.

After a shower and a nap we had supper at La Espanola, on the corner of Calle Hortaleza and Calle de las Enfantas. The bill came to 26€20.

We then meandered down the cobbled streets to Fuente de Cibeles and returned to our hotel along Gran Via.

On the way back we bought a pack of 3 pastries at Carrefour Express for a midnight snack and a 330ml bottle of water for the bottle.

Cape Town 2023.05.05 FridayCleared bank cards for international use, uploaded travel documents to the Cloud in case we l...
12/05/2023

Cape Town 2023.05.05 Friday

Cleared bank cards for international use, uploaded travel documents to the Cloud in case we lose them, backed-up the laptops, checked-in online on Qatar Air and had the family over for dinner.

The cost of the return tickets between Cape Town and Madrid was R10 568 per person.

We are ready to start our next Camino.

Cape Town to Doha 2023.05.06 Saturday

We handed over the house sitter. Locked the front door and took the lift to the foyer. Said goodbye to Andre at reception and took an Uber to the airport.

The trip from De Waterkant to the airport took 18 min and cost us R129. The Toyota Avanza has seen better days but was clean and the driver jovial.

Our first stop was the Customs office at the airport to register our laptops to avoid the possibility of paying import duty on our return. It is useful to register the laptops in the event of insurance claims.

We only had carry-on luggage and proceeded directly through security and immigration. The process was seamless and the staff helpful and friendly.

Our bank cards give us free access to the Bidvest lounges and we opted to go to the Premier lounge. The walk in rate for this lounge was R569 per person and you can enter 4 hours before your flight departure time. The rate for the Bidvest Sky lounge was R475 per person. The lounge was well appointed with great food and excellent service.

We activated the international roaming on our cell phones for SMSs only. This allows us to receive unlimited SMSs for free and to send SMSs at R2,75 per SMS. This functionality is required to receive OTPs. We will make and receive phone calls via WhatsApp and purchase a local SIM card in Spain with a call and data package.

The cost of 100 GB data and 800 min call time, including international calls, is 15 € from Vodafone. How we get ripped off in South Africa!

We were in the last boarding group for our Qatar flight to Doha and only proceeded to the boarding gate 15 min before it closed. It is much nicer in the lounge than standing in a queue at the gate.

The service and food on the fight was good. A huge selection of in-flight entertainment was available and we watched a couple of movies. The seats were comfortable but cramped, even for a medium sized person. The flight was full with the usual queues at the economy class bathrooms.

We landed at 23h40 at Hamad Airport in Doha. We have a lengthy layover since our flight to Madrid is scheduled to depart at 07h45 the next morning. The airport is huge with nice public spaces, it even has an indoor forest area.

Everything at the airport is expensive, or perhaps the Rand is just super weak. Coffee comes at an eye watering 21 Qatari Riyal, a mere R116.

Fortunately there are many water dispensers around the airport and our plastic water bottles courtesy of Qatar Air came in handy.

Espinal to Pamplona to Zariquiegui (51 km)We woke up late, around 09h30, and realised that we forgot to charge our cell ...
22/04/2023

Espinal to Pamplona to Zariquiegui (51 km)

We woke up late, around 09h30, and realised that we forgot to charge our cell phones in our eagerness to go to sleep. Not many photos will be taken today. Breakfast consisted of a chocolate-nut bar, a banana and a coke each.

We started the day with a slight climb out of Espinal, but after that, the ride was mostly downhill until we reached the outskirts of Pamplona.

Approaching the city, we left the main road and mostly continued through beautifully maintained public parks with cycling paths taking us into the old city. The 40 km ride to Pamplona took just under 2h30 with a water refill at a gas station on the way. Google's estimate was spot on!

Starving by the time we arrived in Pamplona, our first stop was Burger King at 17 Calle Mercaderes, a stone throw away from the Cathedral de Pamplona. They had a special for two consisting of two cheese and bacon burgers with chips and unlimited soft drinks from the soda fountain at 6.50 € in total. It was good value and the service was great.

Following a leisurely lunch at Burger King, they filled our water bottles with ice and water and we took a walk to the nearby cathedral and a viewing point on the old city wall before starting the final 11 km stretch to Zariquiegui.

The cobbled roads of the old city turned into concrete pavements with cycle lanes and eventually became dirt roads. Navigating through the traffic, pedestrians, and vehicles was relatively easy since most people we encountered were very considerate, and we were not in a rush. The warning bells on our bicycles came in handy especially when exiting subways and tunnels.

The last 5 km to Zariquiegui was hard work because of the incline and the loose road surface. The 11 km ride from Pamplona took 2 hours. The fountain outside Iglesia de San Andres with wooden benches alongside was a welcoming sight as we entered the village.
We stayed at Hostal Zariquiegui to the left of the church.

The hosts assisted to secure our bicycles in their storeroom. After a hot shower, we went to the dining room for Clara Con Limon (beer shandy with lemon juice). There were coin-operated washing machines that included the supply of detergent at 1.50 € per 5 kg load. We washed our clothing from the previous two days to avoid possibly having to do so by hand at a later stage. It is essential for us to do laundry regularly because we only carry 3 sets of cycling clothing.

Supper was beef stew and a few Cervezas (Beers), which cost us a total of 13.00 €, including a tip. The sleeping arrangements were two bunk beds in a room with four people. The shower and toilet facilities were down the passage.

We planned to leave early in the morning and made sure that our phones were charged this time. We will have breakfast on the road.

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