There is something special about hoisting on your pack for your very first day of Camino walking in a while. If you’re lucky it fits you like a glove, the weight is unnoticeable, and you’re perfectly balanced. I didn’t realise how much I missed carrying all my worldly possessions on my back (for the next 2 weeks) and just setting off on an adventure.

The day started as it always does, with a morning photo. Here we are,4 happy pilgrims in front of the beautiful cathedral in Burgos.

Our routine is simple. Head off, walk to the next town – usually 5-7km away – stop for our first coffee and breakfast.

My day also started with some lovely dog greetings as we encountered several lovely pups who insisted on coming over to wish us well with their wagging tales and beautiful smiles.

Breakfast in Tardajos was typical – coffee and the sweetest, freshest sugar free orange juice. I never drink juice at home, but the freshly squeezed OJ here is not to be missed!

Not long out of Tardajos we passed an old Ermitage (chapel) which was open so of course we investigated. In the chapel were two nuns giving blessings to pilgrims who passed. It was very unexpected and very moving, and even though I am not religious or a believer, I was quite emotional. The kindness of strangers always undoes me.

Another blessing of Camino life is the people you meet along the way. I may never cross paths with these pilgrims again but I will remember them here. We met Carol from England who is doing the Camino in a wheelchair and on her own very inspiring woman! Anna and Mick – the first Irish pilgrims we encountered (I have no doubt there will be many more). They walk as many do, in stages over several years. I walked alongside a young Aussie guy, Jake from the Sunshine Coast, who decided on a whim to have an overseas adventure and was finishing his 3 months by walking the Camino. We talked about how you can never describe to people back home just how profound an experience the Camino is. Soon he will be back to his real estate job in Caloundra and we laughed about how ridiculous that sounded from here on Camino. And finally we met a couple from WA – Ali has written some books and he and his partner Fran are podcasting from the Camino.

In Hornillos I used my excellent negotiating skills to get a taxi to where we were staying – a small truck and two stop town about 8km away. None of us had it in us to walk any more that day.

We discovered an interesting quirk of Spanish dining – sit at a table in a separate room (restaurant style) and you must partake in the 3 course menu. Choosing one dish from the menu isn’t an option. However, you can have any dish you like from the menu if you sit in the bar area! So we sat down to a delicious Catalan soup and pan, of course.

It was a great first day of walking. 🥰