The Flying Finneys

30/08/2026

A few days ago I ‘switched lanes’ to walk the Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Santiago. I was leaving my buddies and the more popular route for one that was harder, with fewer pilgrims and less services. And boy has it delivered!!

After leaving the beauty of Oviedo (what a fantastic city), I have discovered the hills of northern Spain. 1000m ascents each day and hikes of up to 38km (and it is only Day 2)!! Walking 17km yesterday for my morning cup of coffee will stay with me for a while!! The relative isolation of not meeting another person for fours hours, while walking through deep forest and along muddy trails is also a new experience…

But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Photos do not do justice to the incredible landscapes I encounter at every step along the way.

Tomorrow I will encounter the greatest challenge of this trip, walking the Hospitales route along a mountain spine with no support for 13km. The climb will be tough and the legs will probably be walking for upwards of 40km. But it promises to reveal uninterrupted views from every angle and I am pumped ready to start!

More to follow!! Wish me luck!!

27/08/2026

23/08/2026

‘Without the Meseta there can be no Camino’ (written somewhere on a road sign)….

The Meseta is a high flat plateau which I have been walking through pretty much since leaving Borgos. The hot afternoon temperatures encourage you to start walking before sunrise, allowing you an incredible view of the Milky Way. Ruined monasteries emerge out of the gloom, marking remnants of past pilgrim journeys. A few hours later, the sun creeps above the skyline, quickly warming your back and offering a beautiful glimpse of the day to come!

Over the last few days we walked from Borgos to Hontanas (32km), Fromista (36km), Carrión de Los Condes (21km) and then Moratinos (30km). We are almost halfway through this adventure and local towns seem to have separately sought to celebrate this milestone with fiestas running each afternoon through to sunrise!!

The hunters and their dogs continue to roam the fields with the now familiar ‘popping’ sound from shotguns echoing in the early morning. Shepherds with canes stroll past with flocks of black faced sheep, grazing the freshly cut fields. The landscape is beautiful in its harshness as the plains sweep endlessly forward ahead of us.

My ankle continues to improve. I am conscious that there is still hundreds of kilometres ahead of me so taking things slow and deliberate. But looking forward to getting to Leon in the next few days, taking a break and despite its strange beauty, leaving the Meseta behind.

21/08/2026

So the last few days have been challenging!! Having sprained an ankle a few days ago in Logrono, things have not been going as well as I would have liked….

We walked from Santo Domingo, via Espinosa (32km), to Atapuerca (22km) and then onto Borgos. The pain in my right leg forced me to taxi the final 20km to Borgos, where fortunately I was able to see a physio over the next couple of days. What started as a minor injury made me think my Camino was over for this year!! Having been given the all clear, I feel far more confident to continue.

The terrain continues to change. We are out of the green vineyards of La Rijoa and into unending fields of sunflowers and mown hay. At dawn, we observe hunters with shotguns and dogs patrolling the fields in search of dinner. The occasional fox darts past in the near-dawn. Amongst the pilgrims and the locals passing is the call of ‘Buen Camino’! Despite the pain and the challenge is a sense of comraderie, shared over a ‘Cafe con Leche’ or a beer and pinchos in a local tavern.

This Camino is less about the physical challenge, albeit there is much of this on the trail, and more about the conversations you have along the way.

It is a great experience and one that I am thoroughly enjoying!

14/08/2026

Days 5-7: Los Arcos to Santo Domingo

We covered 84,3 Km (and 1,400m in total ascent) walking via Logrono and Najera. We are firmly in wine country (La Rioja) passing vineyards on either side, interspaced with olive groves. The towns we stayed in along the way retain a historic centre with impressive cathedral spires reaching up into the sky!

The walking distance between each major town has varied between 22-32km per day. Unfortunately I suffered a fall in Logrono and sprained my ankle. Slow and painful going since then. Moral of the story - focus on your footing not on the photography…..

Despite this, the trek continues to be extremely interesting and fun, meeting a couple of Aussies from Townsville (Carly and Bernadette) and one from Melbourne (Jacques). Also shared a lunar eclipse with a couple from Western Australia (Cindy and Chris) and practising my extremely poor Spanish with a guy from Madrid (TingYu). There is no shortage of people to chat to!!

12/08/2026

We had the opportunity to witness a 100% eclipse tonight in Logrono. While it is not the primary reason for being here (at this time), it was pretty special to be a part of it!!

11/08/2026

Days Four and Five: Pamplona to Estella and Los Arcos

After a great nights sleep in a Pamplona Hotel we hit the road to travel to Estella and then on to Los Arcos. Each day we covered almost 22km along gravel trails and smaller undulating hills. The wheat in this area has been harvested but we are starting to see more and more vineyards with fruit bursting ready to be picked.

It is also getting hotter with forecast temperatures reaching into the low 40s. So the starts will get earlier and our packs heavier with the extra water. Despite this, we are enjoying great cups of Cafe con Leche and feasting on pastries for breakfast. Lunch is a combination of Pinchos or Plata del dios (along with a glass or two of beer / wine).

Sadly, some of our group will head off home soon, but I am sure there are many more friendships to be made along this route!

09/08/2026

Day Three: Zubiri to Pamplona

One of the great things about this Camino is meeting new people along the way. Today I had the pleasure of walking with Louis (pictured from Scotland), and Ally and his father Stuart (Birmingham). Great blokes who enjoyed a laugh over the 22 km / 436m total ascent. We followed the river valley for much of the way into Pamplona and once we arrived, celebrated with a couple of cold beers and some amazing pinchos. While I was tempted to stay longer to explore the city, I opted to continue on in the morning but stay for my first night outside of an Albergue / Hostel. Air conditioning and a lack of ‘snoring’ dorm buddies was a great change!!

08/08/2026

Day Two: Roncesvalles to Zubiri.

The phone alarms started chirping at 4.30am as a bunch of my fellow ‘dorm buddies’ started to get ready for the day. With little chance of getting another hours sleep, the rest of us dressed and started walking. It meant I was able to get into Zubiri fairly early and enjoyed my first pinchos near the Puente De La Rabia (the Bridge of Rabies)….

Because of the early start, my route to Zubiri was initially in the dark, emerging through the mountains and contouring the peaks along beautiful forrest trails. A total of 22km and about 400m total ascent made it a much easier (and most welcome) day.