preparing for the camino

My aim now I'm retired is to catch up on some of the travel that I've not had time to do. For years I have wanted to do the Camino de Santiago, in Spain. For me this always meant the Camino Frances! So this is number 1 on my list.

First to walk 800 kms requires a bit of preparation, I have walked a bit in England but not managed to do anything long. I also rambled a bit, latterly this was in the Lake District, unfortunately, as a nurse I usually had to work Sundays so I missed lots of rambles, I was also so awful on hills/fells that I felt I was holding everyone up if I rambled in a group.

Now, here in Galicia the time has come to put on my walking boots. There are lots of paths around here but mostly not signed, some just lead to peoples fields, others are old lanes used by the locals in the past, before the current roads were built and asphalted. I've walked down lots of dead ends, most were up or down hill1

My first walk was on a Sunday, on a path called A Fraga, in Autumn.

At the time I was re-reading the Sharpe series of books by Bernard Cornwell, 1 or 2 are set in Galicia. This point is interesting because I was walking on a sunday! On sundays, in autumn and winter the locals hunt, in the woods, with guns! Everywhere I walked through A Fraga that day there was a man standing with a gun, I really expected to see Sean Bean appear any minute! Though that was maybe just wishful thinking!

I didn't take photos of the men but this was the path.

I learnt that it was better to think carefully where I walked on Sundays and restrict my walks through the woods to Saturdays. The route A Fraga is beautiful, starting in impressive chestnut woods.

These woods look beautiful no matter what time of year, the chestnut trees become mixed with oak trees which are covered in a sort of moss and remain green during the winter.

Another beautiful alternative, and safer on a Sunday, is the Roman road or Via Nova, this used to lead from Portugal to Astorga, the romans used it for the transfer of minerals. Now I was taught at school that the Romans liked to build straight roads! How about this!

I know this is a Roman Road, it's got roman milestones to prove it!

The Roman bridge is straight though!

With the recent bad weather walks through woods have become treacherous, really muddy,there are streams down every path and the streams that should be there are raging torrents, so last weekends walks were on asphalt. Not much fun walking 18 to 20 kms on asphalt but needs must. I found the local helicopter base, sounds weird but forest fires are frequent around here.
All this walking has been a marvellous way of getting to know the locality, this weekend should be my last weekend of preparation as I have bought my train ticket to go to Pamplona on Monday and I should start the Camino on Tuesday, unfortunately I have developed a streaming cold so maybe I won't walk this weekend. They are threatening snow as well, which may be another good reason not to walk!