Day 21 GR1 Nocito

Brilliant walk, great scenery, lots of interesting and unexpected things and a lovely trail.

Again it's a different route to the one Juan walked and today the GR1 Sendero Historico followed the Camino Natural de la Hoya de Huesca all the way from Arguis to Nocito. I went on the old route, which still has GR signs on it, along the road up to the pass at Mesón Nuevo only to find when I got there that the new route came cross country up from Arguis. To be honest it didn't look that nice - all routes lead to the pass and there's a sodding great motorway to be avoided whichever way you go.

Once I got on the new route the signs were brilliant and took me all the way to Nocito. Compared with the original GR1 it's more "off road" - carefully avoiding anything that could be accessed by a vehicle. It's had a lot of money spent on it including some unnecessary and slightly ugly hand-rails. Minor complaint though on what is otherwise an excellent trail.

Day 20 GR1 Arguis

Doesn't feel that I've done a full day's walking when I finish at 2.30, particularly when weather is as perfect as it was today. Got another short one tomorrow as well!

I stayed in a casa rural in Bolea and Isabel, the landlady, couldn't stop laughing despite the fact that we didn't understand a word each other were saying. She rang her daughter this morning just to ask me if I wanted to take a sandwich, and then rang her again to find what I wanted in it. What a pain the language barrier is.

Like yesterday the GR1 has been rerouted. From Bolea until it crosses the pass at Paso de Nieve it follows the same route as the Camino Natural de la Hoya de Huesca and then reverts to its original route.

Ermita de la Trinidad

Day 19 GR1 Bolea

When it comes to navigating along long distance trails every country in Europe is different. In the UK we have fantastic maps, with the routes and rights of way clearly marked but on the ground the way marking is comparatively poor. In Spain the routes are not marked on the maps so you're dependent on the way marking, guides when they exist, or a GPS trail from someone who has already walked the trail before. I'm using Juan's trail which he has developed over a series of trips along the GR1.

In Spain routes do however change, much more frequently than in the UK where changing a "right of way" is a big deal legally. In addition variants are often added and "on the ground" it can get a bit confusing particularly when there is no route map to refer to. That was the story of today - lovely route but not the one I was expecting and a good bit longer.

Day 18 GR1 Murillo de Gállego

No Day 17 I'm afraid. It rained all night on Saturday and according to the weather forecast it was going to rain all day Sunday. I was in a comfortable hotel in Sos Dey Rey Catolico and the idea of tramping for 9 hours through the mud to Biel just didn't appeal. Of course what usually happens when I decide not to make a trip is that the sun comes out - well it didn't - it kept raining, walking would have been miserable and for once I had made the right decision. I hung around Sos Dey Rey Catolico all day, had a drink in the Parador, saw the sights and rested up.

I am however on a schedule - the accommodation is all booked and I'm meeting Juan and Christine at a particular time this Saturday. To get back on schedule meant a taxi trip to Biel where I was supposed to stay last night. The taxi took nearly an hour but it was a nice trip and I got to see Uncastillo yet another lovely town surrounding a castle on top of hill.

The huge church in Biel

Day 16 GR1 Sos Dey Rey Catolico

Pathetic but true, I'm lying on my bed writing this blog when there are people outside my window, dressed up in medieval outfits, playing pipes and banging drums. I've arrived in Sos on the day they celebrate the thing for which the town is famous for, the birthplace of Fernando the Catholic on the 10th March in 1452 (I guess today is the nearest Saturday). It's been a tough 38 kilometre walk and to be honest I need to rest my feet - I'm just too knackered to go out and enjoy the fun.

Actually this is a very interesting place and a sensible person would stop here for a day and take it in. It's an old fortress town on top of a hill and much of the wall and all of the gates are still intact. The medieval street pattern inside the walls is still there as is the castle, with its watch tower, and Romanesque church, and a second watch tower centred on the Sada palace. It's all been carefully restored and must be packed out in the summer. Despite all the men in tights it was fairly quite when I wandered around trying to find the hotel.

Day 15 GR1 to Ujue

Short 17 kilometre walk today distinguished more by the destination than the journey.

Sunny weather, clear blue skies, but still cold.

Leaving Olite

Day 14 GR1 to Olite

Weather wise it's different but not really any better. The cold north wind which dominated yesterday has abated; today it's been a mix of heavy wintry showers interspersed with sunshine.

The first of the wintry showers came just as I was finishing my breakfast - more a blizzard than a shower. The Spanish men drinking their kick start coffees seemed to be mildly amused to see a mad Englishmen preparing to go out in the snow whereas the landlady and her daughter showed much warmer hearts and were genuinely concerned. When I insisted on going, but left my walking poles behind, they came running after me, giving a hands on a steering wheel impression, and saying they would drive me Olite.

The church in Larraga

Of course it wasn't that bad and within minutes the sun was out and I was at the church in the centre of Larraga getting my departure bearings.