Back in winter 2016 we attempted a section of the Camino de Santiago in the most terrible, (actual blizzards in Logrono) conditions during probably the worst winter week Spain knew that year.
Below are some images from that Camino week but it’s an experience we would rather forget as injuries, weather and stinking head colds caused us to abort in Logrono. We simply didn’t take many photos, these are all the photos we took in 7 days!
Walking in winter wasn’t a good choice for us for so many reasons. Firstly, your body is cold, although I was pretty much blister free for the week I picked up all kinds of leg muscle injuries and I’m pretty sure it came from pushing long distances with a cold body. Secondly, the lack of amenities, no coffees or sandwiches or places to sit for 20k at a time just makes the walk a slog with nothing to look forward to except the albergue at the end of the day. Thirdly, there’s a lack of other pilgrims, you will go all day without seeing a soul and those who are doing it are about as cheesed off as you with the wind, snow and lack of amenities.
This hasn’t put us off the Camino but has highlighted to us that we really do enjoy walking with other people around and while we had our fair share of rain in Galicia in 2015, walking in the snow with a head cold for 20km is just not our idea of fun. We’re already planning our next Camino, from St Jean Pied de Port to Burgos (to complete Clarisa’s camino) in a couple of day’s time (1st June), this is a period of time we have before a big project in London will keep me occupied through the entire summer until September.
This years Camino also gives me the chance to finally go over the Napoleon route from St Jean to Roncesvalles which was my only regret from Summer 2015. I’d like to stay in more monasteries and parochial albergues (especially Granon).
The world in tyres just outside Ciraqui at the start of the Roman road toward Lorca.
Church at Los Arcos
Just before Azqueta.