Navarrete to Viana is a good trip, allowing one to take a chocolate & some pastries in the square near the cathedral about 9.00. Muy civilizata.
The alternate routes I mentioned. First, going into Burgos, turn left right after the E-80 motorway after Orbaneja Riopico, and staying on this side of the airstrip, walk down the path, then on to a local road, and turn right on to the main drag (N120. following it and then turning left on to the bridge over the Arlanzon, and continue along the tree'd south bank into the city. The alternative is to take a city bus as soon as you see one, as there are no extra points for slogging 2 hours through industrial suburbs.
A few days later, 4 km out of Fromista, right immediately after Poblacion de Campos, hang a right and follow the path along the Rio Ucleza to the village of Villovieco, and then to the old Ermita de Virgen del Rio, then left along the road to Villalcazar de Sirga-- it is about 3km longer than the 9km alongside the highway (P980) but pastoral and mellow and without highway traffic. (By the way, there is a good swimming spot in the canal de Castilla after Boadilla del Camino-- watch out for naked Bavarians).
Then, 24km after Carrion de los Condes, just before Ledigos, rather than follow the highway, take the left along a local road, then right after about a km and follow the path to Moratinos (where there is an interesting little semi-albergue underway by a USian woman who has a great blog), then to the hermitage of the Virgen del Puente just east of Sahagun.
After Sahagun, you have a choice of the road to BErcianos & El Burgo Ranero (18km) or along the Camino de los Peregrinos (4.5km out of Sahagun, take the right to Calzada del Coto and then 12km to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, and then 22km to Mansilla).
The next alternate is after Leon (my preferred of Leon and Burgos). After Virgen del Camino (the longest & most annoying 7km around), turn left off the highway just after the new church, taking the longer road to Fresno, then to Choza then to Villar de Mazarife (15km), then 12km to Hospital de Orbigo. The road route throuh Villadangos is most unpleasant--is is only 3km shorter than the walkers route.
The next day, out of Hospital de Orbigo, hang a left about a km out of the town and go to Villares de Orbigo and then Santibanez de Valdeiglesias (-- a very pretty 5km first thing) there is an albergue in Santibanez, which looks spartan, but you are a kiwi and can take such things in stride. Then 16km into Astorga.
Terrorize the Spanish by swimming in the riparian pool running through the middle of Molinaseca.
Out of Cacabelos, I took the wrong turn to the right after Pieros and found myself on the stunning Tuscany-like countryside into Villafranca. It was 3km too much for me on a long day, but was an agreeable experience.
Out of Villafranca, I did not take the high road through Pradela into Trabadelo, rather than the highway through Pereje, but I wish that I had. Another time.
But one of the best detours is out of Triacestela through Samos. Right out of Triacastela, take the road to the left to Samos. You walk along the highway for about 2.5km to a village called San Cristovo, and then turn right onto the Camino there. The 8km walk into Samos is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Camino. An Irish friend told me that this is like Middle Earth on a good day. Vespers at the Abbey is not at all like vespers in Rabanal, but there's not a lot else to do in Samos at night. Either continue the 12km into SArria along the road throgh Aian and A Ponte, or take the right, and follow the path through the forests to Perros, then on to the road to Sarria. There are several good swimming spots, should the weather be decent.
None of these trails are heavily populated with pilgrims, and they tend to avoid the groups. All of them are far finer in scenery and rusticity than the main drag.
The alternate routes I mentioned. First, going into Burgos, turn left right after the E-80 motorway after Orbaneja Riopico, and staying on this side of the airstrip, walk down the path, then on to a local road, and turn right on to the main drag (N120. following it and then turning left on to the bridge over the Arlanzon, and continue along the tree'd south bank into the city. The alternative is to take a city bus as soon as you see one, as there are no extra points for slogging 2 hours through industrial suburbs.
A few days later, 4 km out of Fromista, right immediately after Poblacion de Campos, hang a right and follow the path along the Rio Ucleza to the village of Villovieco, and then to the old Ermita de Virgen del Rio, then left along the road to Villalcazar de Sirga-- it is about 3km longer than the 9km alongside the highway (P980) but pastoral and mellow and without highway traffic. (By the way, there is a good swimming spot in the canal de Castilla after Boadilla del Camino-- watch out for naked Bavarians).
Then, 24km after Carrion de los Condes, just before Ledigos, rather than follow the highway, take the left along a local road, then right after about a km and follow the path to Moratinos (where there is an interesting little semi-albergue underway by a USian woman who has a great blog), then to the hermitage of the Virgen del Puente just east of Sahagun.
After Sahagun, you have a choice of the road to BErcianos & El Burgo Ranero (18km) or along the Camino de los Peregrinos (4.5km out of Sahagun, take the right to Calzada del Coto and then 12km to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, and then 22km to Mansilla).
The next alternate is after Leon (my preferred of Leon and Burgos). After Virgen del Camino (the longest & most annoying 7km around), turn left off the highway just after the new church, taking the longer road to Fresno, then to Choza then to Villar de Mazarife (15km), then 12km to Hospital de Orbigo. The road route throuh Villadangos is most unpleasant--is is only 3km shorter than the walkers route.
The next day, out of Hospital de Orbigo, hang a left about a km out of the town and go to Villares de Orbigo and then Santibanez de Valdeiglesias (-- a very pretty 5km first thing) there is an albergue in Santibanez, which looks spartan, but you are a kiwi and can take such things in stride. Then 16km into Astorga.
Terrorize the Spanish by swimming in the riparian pool running through the middle of Molinaseca.
Out of Cacabelos, I took the wrong turn to the right after Pieros and found myself on the stunning Tuscany-like countryside into Villafranca. It was 3km too much for me on a long day, but was an agreeable experience.
Out of Villafranca, I did not take the high road through Pradela into Trabadelo, rather than the highway through Pereje, but I wish that I had.
Another time.
But one of the best detours is out of Triacestela through Samos. Right out of Triacastela, take the road to the left to Samos. You walk along the highway for about 2.5km to a village called San Cristovo, and then turn right onto the Camino there. The 8km walk into Samos is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Camino. An Irish friend told me that this is like Middle Earth on a good day. Vespers at the Abbey is not at all like vespers in Rabanal, but there's not a lot else to do in Samos at night. Either continue the 12km into SArria along the road throgh Aian and A Ponte, or take the right, and follow the path through the forests to Perros, then on to the road to Sarria. There are several good swimming spots, should the weather be decent.
None of these trails are heavily populated with pilgrims, and they tend to avoid the groups. All of them are far finer in scenery and rusticity than the main drag.
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