Day 16: Candaznos to Bujaralos 

Date	Jun 7th ( Wednesday )
Today's Distance:	15 miles / 24  km
Candaznos to Burajalos Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	170 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	170 miles
Total All Caminos:	1905 miles
Lodging:	$ 50 @ Hostel Monegros III
Total Lodging:	$ 823
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 30 Fraga to Candaznos
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 30 / 92 = 107
Food:	$ 25
Total Food:	$ 355

Meaningful Moment

Deb and I have 3 miles to Bujaralos. We're sitting on benches behind an abandoned house surrounded by trees and fields of growing corn with a cool breeze blowing under cloudy skies. Stopped to have something to eat and drink. Just a perfect moment for relaxing before we end today's stage.

Random Thought of the Day

When we get to the hostel tonight, we need to consider our plans for the last 2 days of this portion of the Camino. 

The next stage is just under 24 miles long with no lodging. So that means once we start, if we don't have a fallback plan, we are totally committed to walking the distance.

We'll be talking tonight with the people at the hostel to see if we can arrange for a taxi pickup at the halfway point tomorrow. 

If we can do that, then we can stay at the hostel a second night, using a taxi to get back tomorrow and then returning us to the halfway point the following morning.

If we achieve that, we will have walked the Camino Catalan from Barcelona to the endpoint. Not sure how much mileage that is going to be yet.

***

The manager of the hostel gave me a phone number of a taxi driver. I gave him a call, and he said that he could pick us up tomorrow at our halfway point, and then return us there Friday morning.

The significance of this means that Deb and I can completely walk the Camino Catalan from Barcelona.

On the Road / Notable memories

Weather has been phenomenal today. Total cloud cover with temperatures in the high-60s to low 70s. Much better hiking.

There is a deviation between the AllTrails app and the yellow arrow markers from the Camino Association so Deb and I spent about an extra 3/4 of a mile walking down the wrong road and then backtracking. No big deal.

The bar in Peñable did not have much in it, but Deb and I got our coffees and we broke out something from our lunch pack to eat before completing the second half of today's stage.

Also had a couple of nice places on big, flat rocks to stop for a few minutes and rest, take the socks off and let the feet breathe.

Los Monegros desert region

	Not exactly bush wacking
	The Osbourne bull started as a brandy advert campaign, but they are now all over most but not all of Spain.
	The cats of Peñalbe
	Peñalbe main plaza. Coffee break.
	Peñalbe
	Bujaralos main square. Deb and I are sitting and enjoying an evening breeze.
	All you can eat Spanish 24 hour trucks driver restaurant

Day 15: Fraga to Candaznos

Date	Jun 6th ( Tuesday )
Today's Distance:	17 miles / 27 km
Fraga to Candaznos Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	155 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	155 miles
Total All Caminos:	1890 miles
Lodging:	$  60 @ Hotel Casanova
Total Lodging:	$ 773
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 30 Candaznos to Fraga
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 30 / 62 = 92
Food:	$ 20
Total Food:	$ 330

Meaningful Moment

A beautiful morning in Spain with a 1000 ft climb out of the Río Cinca valley with Deb.

Random Thought of the Day

I suspect the now abandoned farm houses lying in the middle of working fields is just because it's so convenient to live in town nowadays.

On the Road / Notable memories

6:00 a.m. Wake up.

6:30 a.m. Early start

Temperature outside 61°. Weather forecast for the day: lots and lots and lots of sun with the temperature climbing to 85 by around 1:00 p.m. Rains predicted starting around 4:00 p.m.

*** 

Two stops at repsol gas stations for rest breaks. There were no support services along the entirety of today's hike.

 Lunch under a tree, enjoying the shade.

The climb out of the River valley was about 4 mi. The remaining 13 miles were through arid farm fields. 

The fields were incredibly rocky, such that it was hard to imagine crops growing there. But they were working fields.

Irrigation is completely and absolutely essential to making farming a success in this area. 

Saw some fields that did not appear to have irrigation, and I can't imagine what could be grown there. The land is not dirt but more like sand and rocks and clay.

The Río Cinca has carved out an immense valley, not unlike the Colorado River and the Grand canyon. 

Not comparing scales because the Río Cinca is much smaller, but just trying to get the idea across that as we climbed out of the valley, we reached an immense plains system.

	Beginning our ascent out of the Río Cinca valley
	Going up
	Out of the valley and back onto the plains
	Typical of the path all the way up
	Arid farm land with abandoned house.  The land is tended so it must be in between planting and harvesting.
	Rocky farms fields. What could possibly grow here?
	One of our gas station rest stops today.
	Church in Candaznos. We are waiting our taxi.

Day 14: Industrial Poligono Soses to Fraga

Date	Jun 5th ( Monday )
Today's Distance:	9 miles /  14  km
Industrial Poligono Soses to Fraga Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	138 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	138 miles
Total All Caminos:	1873 miles
Lodging:	$  60 @ Hotel Casanova
Total Lodging:	$ 713
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 30 / 32 = 47
Food:	$
Total Food:	$ 310

Meaningful Moment

Another milestone. Sometime today, the border was not marked, we crossed from the autonomous community of Catalunya and into the autonomous community of Aragon.

Sitting with Deb under a cabana on Calle Principal, next to the hotel, having a light supper during a thunderstorm.

Random Thought of the Day

Got an earlier start even though it was a shorter day. Temperature climbed to the mid '80s by the time that we reached Fraga. Although we had some nice walks through farm fields, both Deb and I think that the Camino Catalan has a lot of pavement, relatively speaking.

On the Road / Notable memories

Because we've been having so much trouble getting in touch with the hostel in Candaznos, we stopped by the local government office and the tourist office and the police station to try and find out the status of the hostel in Candaznos.

Just about everyone we talk to is convinced that the hostel was open, but I just had a negative vibe since they never answered the phone.

As a result, Deb and I agreed that we would walk to Candaznos in the morning and afternoon, about 15 miles, and then call a taxi to bring us back to Fraga where we would spend the night again.

Then Wednesday morning we would take a cab back to Candaznos and continue walking from there.

Tomorrow afternoon the temperature is expected to be about 85, with almost no cloud cover, therefore we aim to get a very early start. Wake up at 6:00 a.m., walking by 6:30 a.m.

We have completed our shopping. We have salami and cheese, bread, protein bars, peaches, bananas, fiber wafers, flan, chocolate and six bottles of hydration.

	Once again the geographical features have changed. We are now in sandhill after sandhill country.
	The irrigation effort must be enormous.
	Somewhere around this point we left the autonomous community of Catalunya behind, and entered the autonomous community of Aragon.
	Deep in the rift between the sand dunes, etched into the hills is the old part of Fraga.
	On the other bank of the Río Cinca, is what I would call new Fraga. This is where we are staying tonight in the Hotel Casanova.
	View of the Río Cinca from the National IIa bridge over the river.
	Watching the thunderstorm come in to Fraga, from under a cabana on Calle Principal well we are having dinner. Hot dog pizza, tuna pizza and pimientos padrones, carbonated water drinks with lemon and ice cream.
	The nice thing about the cabana location is that we were literally  30 ft from the hotel entrance.  Very convenient during a thunderstorm.

Day 13: Leide to Poligono Industrial Soses

Date	Jun 4th ( Sunday )
Today's Distance:	13 miles / 21   km
Lleide to Poligono Industrial Soses Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	129 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	129 miles
Total All Caminos:	1864 miles
Lodging:	$ 20 @ Hostel Cataluña y Aragon
Total Lodging:	$ 653
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 30 / 32 = 47
Food:	$ 25
Total Food:	$ 310

Meaningful Moment

Although we had lots of shade, it was another hot day.  The mornings aren't bad and usually there's a good amount of shade because of the angle of the sun. But by noon, the sun is overhead and the amount of shade really disappears just as the day is getting hottest.

Taking Deb on a date tonight to the gas station next door to the hostel. It's the only place for miles.

Random Thought of the Day

How nice it is sit in the bar in Alcarás after a 9 mi slog, which is not fair because there was a lot of pretty scenery, but it was a hot 9 mile hike to get here.

Orange juice, carbonated water and a Spanish tortilla with potatoes.

Last year on the Camino Madrid with Deb, temperatures regularly hit mid '90s.

When we started daily temperatures reached into the mid-100s.

We should be cruising along this year.

Yet it seems like the temperature here in the '70s in combination with humidity is really wearing me down.

Just checked into the hostel. We have completed our 11th straight day of hiking.

On the Road / Notable memories

Leaving Lleide, we followed the river. 

In the city the river was hidden, and we followed a  paved road. 

It took a while after leaving the city to begin to see the river which is beautiful. 

And then it took a little longer to get off the paved road and on to small crush stone dirt road where it really began to get beautiful.

Lots of bird song along the Rio Segre trail

***

Great lunch in Alcarás. Tortilla con patata for the both of us. Empanada with chicken for Deb. Espresso, carbonated water, orange juice to drink.

**"

Deb and I sat on the hostel patio during the evening, enjoying the sunset and breeze. And a couple of feral cats who came along looking for pickings.

***

Río Segre walking path near Albatárrec

	Rio Segre
	Deb crossing in a very beautiful spot. Can't put a price on shade.
	Getting towards the end of the day. Our lodging is just ahead.
	Our lodging for the night
	Although a feral cat, still a cutie, who has become acclimated to scrummaging around the trash can and the restaurant patio area.

Day 12: Palau d'Anglesola to Lleide

Date	Jun 3rd ( Saturday )
Today's Distance:	18 miles /  28  km
Palau d'Anglesola to Lleide Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	116 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	116 miles
Total All Caminos:	1851 miles
Lodging:	$ 107  @ Hotel AA
Total Lodging:	$ 663
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 30 / 32 = 47
Food:	$ 35
Total Food:	$ 320

Meaningful Moment

On checking into the hotel, which we booked at the last minute because of  our change of plans mentioned below, the hotel clerk gave us an upgrade to a business class room. 

He said it's because we looked so tired lol and needed to rest. 

Whatever the reason was, it was greatly appreciated

Random Thought of the Day

Met some really nice bartenders today:

Bell-loc d'Urgell: place looked like a hole in the wall but he was so full of smiles and he knew about the Camino.

Acoletge: full of info and very friendly, even though we looked awfully bedraggled at this point.

Both Deb and I are very tired tonight.

On the Road / Notable memories

Lots and lots of farm fields of crops of grain, fruit trees and some other things. Periods of industrial zones. Most walking was on dirt farm roads,  which is much better than pavement.

Our original plan was to stop about 5 mi short in the small town of Alcoletge. 

We had been phoning the albergue there, but no one was answering the phone. Usually that just means it's not possible to get in touch with someone, but if you show up at the albergue door, there'll be instructions to reach the contact person.

That did not turn out to be the case today, so we had to implement our fallback plan which was to press another 5 mi ahead to the city of Lleide.

It turned a 13 mi hike into a 18 mi hike.

Nice walk around Lleida with Deb tonight. Made it down to the river Segro.

Had a really great dinner, drink and dessert in the hotel.

	Another beautiful day of roadside flowers
	Another late afternoon storm that we are trying to beat to the hotel
	Rio Segro in Lleide. Thunder threatening us by this point.
	Taking refuge in a coffee shop
	Lleide
	Rio Segro
	Bass with vegetables and wild prawns on a sea salt bed
	Entrance to the Hotel AA Lleide
	Crane nest found on early morning walk around Lleide

Day 11: Vilagrassa to Palau d'Angelsola

Day 11: From Vilagrassa to Palau d'Angelsola

Date	Jun 2nd ( Friday )
Today's Distance:	14 miles /   22 km
Vilagrassa to Palau d'Anglesola Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	98 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	98 miles
Total All Caminos:	1833 miles
Lodging:	$  5 @ Municipal Albergue Palau d'Anglesola
Total Lodging:	$ 556
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 30 / 32 = 47
Food:	$ 20
Total Food:	$ 285

Meaningful Moment

Today we finally crossed into the agricultural regions of Catalunya. It has a striking similarity to the meseta, the great Spanish plain.

We spent all day long walking through agricultural fields and animal husbandry fields.

Random Thought of the Day

How many days have we been hiking now? Deb and I counted it out to be our 9th day. We've achieved 98 mi now. That's coming out to about 11 mi a day. Little less than we were expecting as a daily average.

I think the sun is a definite factor as overexposure causes fatigue or weariness. The temperatures are in the mid-70s and are only a cause for concern in bright, constant, never-ending sun.

We have been walking in bright, constant, never-ending sun except for the day we were walking in the thunderstorm.

The solution for that of course is to seek out shade at every opportunity, to take off the shoes and socks every couple of hours and let the feet breathe, and to stay well hydrated and eat.

On the Road / Notable memories

Met some very friendly people today. 

• The bartender in Castellnou
• The hospitalera in Palau d'Anglesola
• The Albergue check-in person likewise
• The waiter at the poligono deportes who recommended some outstanding food for dinner

Near Bellpuig: Nothing but blue skies, flat land and crops out to the horizon.

	Anglesola Plaza Mayor for a self service meal and drink
	Canal d'Urgell
	Plantá de la Plana
	Rest stop and light snack
	Super bartender in Castellnou de Seana
	Castellnou de Seana
	Marta, super great hospitalera in Palau d'Anglesola
	Sign of Catalan desire for independence
	Cranes make nests quite often on church steeples
	Camí de Sant Jaume