On the road by bike - June 2004
and on foot, April 2013
Why did I become a pilgrim? There is no simple explanation. Maybe a little poem written down somewhere along the way will help.
Dust, mud, sun and rain
This is the way to Santiago
Thousands of pilgrims have walked it
For more than a thousand years
Who calls you pilgrim?
What mysterious power attracts you?
It is neither the starry sky
Nor the great cathedrals.
Neither the bravery of Navarre
Nor Rioja wine
Nor the fruits of Gaul
Nor the fields of Castile.
The power that drives you forward
The power that draws you on
I cannot explain
Only He up there can!
Pilgrim who calls you?
What mysterious power attracts you?
Neither is it the people on the way
Nor is it the rural traditions.
Neither culture nor history
Nor the cock of Santo Domingo
Nor the palace of Gaudi
Nor the castle of Ponferrada
All this I see in passing
And to see this is pleasure.
But the voice that calls me
I feel much deeper within me.
The cycle tour on the Camino Francés, my first pilgrimage, was one of my most impressive journeys with many beautiful experiences and encounters. Later, in 2013, on foot, I was able to explore many of the beautiful places even more closely.
In Spain, you will find thousands of yellow arrows along the Way of St. James to show you the way. Follow the arrows here as well to experience a little of what moved me and what impressed me.
Start by bike in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
On foot from Nájera to Leon
This table and the map show the stages.
| Date | covered distance | Bicycle km ridden |
|---|---|---|
|
11.06. |
Bike ride to the station
By train from Zurich via Geneva / through the Rhone Valley via |
4.5 |
|
12.06 |
Bayonne By bike to the sea and back to the station |
19.0 |
|
13.06 |
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Alto de Ibañeta - Pamplona - Cizur Menor |
84.5 |
|
14.06 |
90.0 |
|
|
15.06 |
Viana - Logroño - Canas - St. Domoningo de la Calzada - |
96.0 |
|
16.06 |
74.0 |
|
|
17.06 |
Burgos - San Anton - Castrojeriz - Fromista - Carrion de los Condes |
96.0 |
|
18.06 |
104.0 |
|
|
19.06 |
75.0 |
|
|
20.06 |
Mountain stage: Rabanal del Camino - Cruz de Ferro (1504m) - Ponferrada - Vega de Valcarce |
74.0 |
|
21.06 |
Vega de Valcarce - Cebreiro - Alto san Roco -Porto de Poio - Tricastella - Samos - Sarria. |
65.0 |
|
22.06 |
87.0 |
|
|
23.06 |
Arzúa - Santiago de Compostela and tour in Santiago |
54.0 |
918.5 |
||
|
24.06 |
On foot in Santiago |
|
|
25.06 |
Monte do Gozzo - Muros by the sea and back by bus |
87.0 |
|
26.06 |
Monte do Gozzo - airport Labacolla |
15.0 |
|
Total cycled km |
1020.5 |
Click on the route sections in the table, or on the map, or follow the arrow
