Below you find the translation of my blog of this part of my pilgrimage. it is (for a part) automatic translated, when you find funny /strange translations, please let me know.
Preparation, a few weeks before leaving
Preparations, 2 days before leaving,
Travel day, Home – Schiphol – Brussel- Parijs- Hendaye – Irun,
Travel day 2, Irun – Bilbao – Logroño
Pilgrimage day 1 Logroño – Navarrete
Pilgrimage day 2 Navarrete – Navarrete
Pilgrimage day 3 Navarrete – Nájera
Pilgrimage day 4 Nájera- Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Pilgrimage day 5 Santo Domingo de la Calzada- Belorado
Pilgrimage day 6 Belorado- Villafranca montes de Oca
Pilgrimage day 7 Villafranca montes de Oca – Santovenia
Pilgrimage day 8 Santovenia – Burgos
Pilgrimage day 9 Burgos – Cavia 29,12km, herberg
Pilgrimage day 10 Cavia- Castrojeriz 30,92km,
Pilgrimage day 11 Castrojeriz – Frómista 31,55km
Pilgrimage day 12 Frómista – Carrión de los Condes
Pilgrimage day 13 Carrión de los Condes – Sagagún
Pilgrimage day dag 14 Sagagún – El Burgo Ranero
Pilgrimage day 15 El Burgo Ranero- Mansilla de las Mulas
Pilgrimage day 16 Mansilla de las Mulas – Leon
Pilgrimage day 17 Leon – Hospital de Órbigo
Pilgrimage day 18 Hospital de Órbigo – Murias de Rechivaldo
Pilgrimage day 19 Murias de Rechivaldo- Rabanal del Camino
Pilgrimage day 20 Rabanal del camino – Acebo de San Miguel
Pilgrimage day 21 Acebo de San Miguel – Cacabelos
Pilgrimage day 22 Cacabelos- Las Herrerias
Pilgrimage day 23 Las Herrerias – La Laguna
Pilgrimage day 24 La Laguna – Triacastela
Pilgrimage day 25 Triacastela- Sarria
Pilgrimage day 26 Sarria- Portomarin
Pilgrimage day 27 Portomarin – Portomarin (Power outage Spain)
Pilgrimage day 28 Portomarin – Palas de Rei
Pilgrimage day 29 Palas de Rei – Arzúa
Pilgrimage day 30 Arzúa – gestrand just before San Marcos
Camping day 1
Camping day 2
Camping day 3
Camping day 4
Camping day 5
Camping day 6
Camping day 7
Camping day 8
Camping day 9
Camping day 10 / Repatrietion / back home, Porto – Schiphol – Thuis!
Home
Looking back and statistics
Good news!
Left for the last stage
Begining of the end
Arrival Santiago
A few weeks before leaving
march 13, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
It’s been a while, but here’s finally another blog post. That’s because there are only a few weeks left before I leave. On 1 April, I’ll board the train and travel to Logroño in two to three days, where I ended up last year. This will be the final stage. I started in 2016, and after 10 years, I will finally arrive in Santiago (but don’t worry, I will continue pilgrimaging after Santiago).
Last week, I happened to run into the Augustinian sisters from both Utrecht and Hilversum where I stayed in 2016 (the latter now also live in Utrecht) when I was at a Taizé celebration in Utrecht, where Brother Sebastiaan (the Dutch brother of Taizé) was also present. I stayed with these sisters during my first pilgrimage in 2016. It was nice to see them and talk to them.
Recently, I have also been busy with preparations. Among other things, I bought a new waterproof rucksack with a little more space for my large night splint for my leg, which I didn’t have room for in my rucksack last year. The disadvantage was that I had to carry it in the front pocket of my tent, but when my tent got wet, so did my splint, which wasn’t ideal. In the coming weeks, I will be packing and hopefully taking a test ride so that I know how best to load everything onto my wheelchair. I will write about those changes along the way, because then I can also tell you whether it works and what exactly has changed.
A few weeks ago, I had another interview and photo shoot. This time for the ANWB Kampioen. It will be published at the end of this month, and I will share it here as well.
So, there will be occasional blog posts in the coming period, and daily posts again from 1 April! If you don’t follow me yet, you can subscribe to my newsletter on the homepage. You will then receive an email when I post something.
Greetings,
Wheelchairpilgrim
2 days to go
March 30, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Only two days to go before departure. Last week was busy with the final preparations, such as packing, repairing things and checking that everything is complete. But now almost everything is ready and packed (except for a few things that can only be done at the last minute, such as my mobile phone charger and night splint).
On the night of 15 to 16 March, I rolled the Silent Procession in Amsterdam with a group from the church (two busloads!). We started at the church in Langeraar and then left by bus for Amsterdam. There, in the chapel at the Begijnhof, we had a celebration and then we set off. I have done this many times before, but it remains impressive, especially because of the contrast between the silent, praying pilgrims and the nightlife of, among other places, Amsterdam’s Warmoesstraat.
The only thing I found unfortunate was that the lamp that normally stands at the end point in the Kalverstraat was no longer there. This was because the lamp had been loaned to a museum in connection with the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam, and the museum staff brought it back to the museum at midnight. Hopefully it will be back next year. Afterwards, we had a bread meal in Langeraar and I was back home around 3 a.m.
Last night, I went to church where I received the pilgrim’s blessing from the priest. I also took the opportunity to test my wheelchair with all my luggage. A journey of about 16 km (8 one way). I packed a little differently than in previous years because I have a new bag, among other things. So suddenly it’s a different puzzle to get the balance right. But as I rolled along last night, it went pretty well. And I can always adjust the rest along the way. So I’m almost ready.
There is only one thing missing, and that is a cable from my wheelchair (from the battery to the wheel). About three weeks ago, I damaged that cable; it was somehow positioned incorrectly, causing it to get stuck between my anti-tip wheel. Fortunately, it still works, but the rubber protective layer is damaged. Unfortunately, everything went wrong at the supplier’s end, so first it was ordered too late, and then when I thought it had arrived, it turned out to be the wrong cable.
Thanks to an extremely helpful mechanic, it is now on its way to me by post (DPD) and I am hoping that it will be delivered tomorrow. The mechanic repaired the damaged cable as best he could and tested it, which showed that it is working normally, but I still hope that I can leave with a new cable. So that is still a bit of a worry.
On Tuesday around 8 a.m., I will depart from Schiphol by train. Because I need assistance getting on and off the train, I have to be there earlier, and I also have to charge my wheelchair, so I have to be at Schiphol around 7 a.m. to have everything ready on time. So that means getting up early.
I also received a magazine with a interview with me. you can read that here: (sorry, in Dutch)
Two more days and then I will be writing a daily blog again. If you haven’t already done so, you can sign up for my newsletter on the homepage, and you will receive a notification when I post something new.
Wheelchairpilgrim
PS. Monday, 22 March. The cable just arrived in the post! Thankfully, that’s sorted. Now I’m ready to go!
travel day 1
april 1, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
This morning around 7 o’clock, I was already at Schiphol Airport; my son drove me there. I packed all my luggage onto my wheelchair (I have a Fiat Panda, so it’s quite a puzzle, and he certainly can’t fit everything into the car) and rolled to the train station. I was helped onto the train, and so began the first part of my journey.
In my previous blog, I wrote that it was still uncertain whether my broken cable would arrive on time, but it did. It arrived on Monday afternoon. I sent a message to my Medipoint technician, and he was able to come straight away and fix it immediately. (Thank you again if you are reading this!) That was one less thing to worry about.
Back to today, I had my first (short) transfer in Brussels, and then it was Paris’s turn. I had four hours there, but I also had to roll about 6 km from one station to the other.
On the way, I passed Notre Dame, which I hadn’t visited since the fire. I had seen it from the outside last year, but it was still closed at the time. Now I had enough time to stop by. The advantage of a wheelchair is that I don’t have to queue up, I could just go in through the exit. Inside, there was a very helpful employee who helped me get to the more difficult to access areas. For example, the raised choir loft. On the side of the chancel, there was a lift hidden in the stairs, so I was able to get there after all! He also let me get closer than the other people in other places so that I had a good view. Always nice! I also got a stamp in my pilgrim’s passport!
Then it was time for the last train of the day, from Paris to Hendaye. From Hendaye, I rolled to Irun, which is almost the same place but on the Spanish border. This is where I’ll be sleeping tonight.
Tomorow morning I take the train from Irun and go on.
Wheelchairpilgrim
travel day 2
april 2, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
This morning around 8 o’clock we left for the train station. When we arrived, it turned out that a large construction site where a new station is currently being built… the temporary station was inaccessible. I then tried another station, but that was unsuccessful; there was no one behind the counter and it seemed inaccessible anyway. I then decided to roll back to Hendaye. From there, things went better; I first took two trains to Bilbao. These were local trains that, in my opinion, stopped every five minutes on a journey of over two hours.
Something went wrong at Bilbao, causing me to travel too far. Fortunately, there was a helpful woman who helped me get off the train so that I could take the other train back a few stops. And so I made it to the city after all. In Bilbao, it was still a search for the next station for the train, but after three stations and several ticket offices, I finally found the right one. Here, I was well assisted, both with the tickets and getting on the train, because this fast train had a high entrance. Fortunately, they had a ramp with a lift. The journey went smoothly, with only two stops in two and a half hours, so it was a nice, steady ride. Beautiful views of the mountains along the way.
When I arrived in Logroño, I quickly recognised it from last year and soon found my place to sleep. The parish hostel. I was recognised; they don’t often have wheelchair pilgrims here. My wheelchair is parked under a canopy in an enclosed garden, just like last year. It’s not very accessible here, but it’s a nice place and because I can still walk a little, it’s manageable. And they do have a lift, which is nice because climbing stairs is always difficult for me. After arriving, I went to my room briefly and then to Mass in the neighbouring church. Then I had dinner with 20 other pilgrims and ended the evening with a communal evening prayer in the church.
Now I’m lying comfortably on my bed in my little dormitory. Tomorrow it will really begin!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 1, Logroño – Navarette
april 3, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Finally, the day has arrived: day 1 of my pilgrimage. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating and it is raining. Fortunately, I have good waterproof clothing and bags.
First I had breakfast at the inn and then I set off. Today I cycled on a lot of bad roads, and all the sand and rain made me very muddy, but luckily my raincoat and trousers kept that at bay. There was a lot of climbing and descending, mostly not very long but quite steep.
Along the way, I saw a number of typical pilgrim things, including various statues of pilgrims, and I saw a fence with all kinds of wooden crosses hanging on it, which I had already read about in my book. I also cycled past a reservoir.
When I arrived in Navarette, I first went to the church. They have an enormous, impressive altar there. Large and with lots of gold. There were also lots of images of both Bible stories and saints. It was still too early to go to the hostel, but my untrained body had had enough. I recharged my batteries in the church and just sat and rested for a while. I also spoke to a woman. Despite the language barrier, we managed to communicate well with a translation app and had a good conversation. I will see her again later tonight when I go to church.
I finally went to the inn around 3 p.m. It’s very inaccessible, but I managed. I can park my chair at the reception desk. I’m sleeping upstairs. Now I’m lying on the bed, resting a bit. Tomorrow I’ll continue.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 2, van Navarrete to….. Navarrete
april 4, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
As you can see from the title, my day turned out differently than I had expected when I wrote the blog yesterday afternoon. As I wrote then, I was going to go to church. Just before church time, I went to my wheelchair and it was dead… I had already had some problems with the switch on my motor during the day, but it was still working. However, when I wanted to start my chair, it didn’t respond. I opened the switch and found two loose parts, so it couldn’t be repaired. I also sent the Medipoint mechanic some photos of the problem, hoping he could help remotely. But even that didn’t provide a solution. After trying a few more things, I gave up. I decided to hobble to the church, which fortunately was only 150 metres away, and although I normally never walk more than 50 metres, I can do it in an emergency. The only thing is that I pay a heavy price for it during the night and the following day, with a lot more pain. But I was willing to pay that price, and it turned out to be a good choice.
At the end of the service, the woman I had spoken to in the afternoon invited me to have something to eat and drink at a bar next to the church. I was served a delicious soup with lots of chickpeas and other vegetables. We communicated via the translation app because she only speaks Spanish and I don’t… After returning to the hostel, I went to sleep. Apparently, despite the pain (I did take extra painkillers) and stress, I was so tired that I fell asleep quickly.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I saw a message from the mechanic with a photo showing where the contacts in the switch are located. In the morning, I got to work on it. After fiddling with the contacts for a while, I figured out which of the four needed to be connected to make it work. Using a piece of copper wire from an extra USB cable (which I cut up), I was able to connect the contacts and secured them with a piece of duct tape. Then it worked again. Although the wheelchair cannot be turned off now (only by removing the battery), that’s not so bad. At least it’s running again. First, I looked for a garage to have the piece of copper soldered in place of the duct tape, but unfortunately that didn’t work out. Even the woman from the church tried to find a place where they could solder it, but she was unsuccessful. But despite that, it seems to be working.
As long as it stays in place for a few days. In the meantime, I have arranged through the mechanic and importer of my wheelchair wheels for them to send me a new part to a parcel point in Burgos. About 110 km away. I hope to be there in about 5 days and hopefully the wheelchair part will be there too. Otherwise, I’ll just have to wait there.
After all this hassle and work on the wheelchair, I was so tired (both physically and mentally) that I decided not to roll any further. Besides, it was already around noon. So I rolled to the campsite.
When I went to pitch my tent, the woman from the church came by to invite me over for something to eat, which was perfect because I had hardly eaten anything due to all the commotion. After I had pitched my tent (on a lawn full of daisies), she drove me to her house and spoiled me with all kinds of goodies, including soup, eggs, bread, fruit and yoghurt. Then she took me back to the campsite, where I am now writing on my air mattress. Time to rest for a while, because at 7:15 p.m. she will pick me up again to go to church together.
And then I’ll go to bed early. Tomorrow I’ll continue rolling, hoping that my wheelchair will continue to work. At least I now know how to repair it. And so the day ended on a positive note after all.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 3, Navarrete – Nájera
april 5, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Last night I went to church. The woman from the church I wrote about yesterday picked me up by car. Because it was Friday, there was a tour of the church with the Stations of the Cross before Mass. After church, she gave me a cup of hot soup. Then she took me back to the campsite. With something warm in my stomach, I was able to get into my tent/sleeping bag and slept well.
This morning, I packed up my tent and other things and set off. I also had the opportunity to repack a little differently and have now improved the balance slightly. Weight doesn’t matter much on my wheelchair, but balance does. Too much weight at the front makes it difficult to steer and I can’t do wheelies anymore. But too much weight at the back causes me to tip backwards quickly and makes it difficult to take slopes. Sometimes, moving a small amount of weight can make a big difference.
Once I left the campsite, I rolled past the woman from the church. She lives on the route. I said hello and she gave me all kinds of treats (chocolate, biscuits, etc.). She also gave me several pictures of Mary and the Archangel Michael, as well as a rosary. She wanted to give me more and I had to make an effort to refuse, but I can’t take everything with me with the limited space on my wheelchair. But it was a kind gesture! A kind of Camino grandmother! Then I said goodbye and set off. My wheelchair didn’t give me any trouble today, so I’m glad my emergency repair worked.
Today’s route mainly ran through vineyards. I noticed that there are many fields here with old vines that are not tied to wires but simply stand loose. I have seen many vineyards in France, but they are always tied to wires. I also saw a few small olive groves here and there.
On the way, I also enjoyed the blossoms of almond trees. Last year, I was in Spain during harvest time and was able to pick/eat almonds, and it’s nice to see them in bloom now. Especially since I’ll be missing the blossoms in my own garden (I have lots of fruit trees in my mini garden at home).
It is a beautiful area here. Lots of mountains, and in the distance I could see mountains with snow on their peaks.
The first half of the ride was uphill, first a moderate climb that was manageable, but the last part was very tough (12%) and I had to reverse. In any case, I notice that my arms are still untrained, so that didn’t help. Fortunately, the second half was almost entirely downhill, at least, that was the intention… Halfway down the descent, I ended up at a roadblock. That meant rolling back 3 km, uphill. Fortunately, I met a cyclist (who was also cycling towards the roadblock) and he knew an alternative route to get to my destination. Once I had climbed back up, I was able to start the descent via the other road. I then rolled fairly quickly to my final destination. Now I am in the hostel, a large, spacious dormitory where my wheelchair can be parked at the foot of the bed and the toilet/shower is 10 metres away, which is very nice.
Tomorow I go on.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 4 Nájera – Santo Domingo de la Calzada
april 6, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Last night I went to church in Nájera. A Saturday evening service is the same as a Sunday morning service, so I’m skipping today. This dates back to the time when the change of day was not at midnight but at sunset. So Saturday evening was already part of Sunday. (You can still see this today with, for example, St. Nicholas’ Eve. In the Netherlands, we celebrate this on the evening of 5 December, which is actually already 6 December, the day of St. Nicholas).
This was another beautiful church. After Mass, the priest told us a few things about the church, but unfortunately I couldn’t follow it in Spanish. The pilgrims present also received a stamp in their pilgrim’s passport. That’s nice because I’ve just started a new one and I don’t like an almost empty passport.
I slept rather restlessly last night, especially from around 4 a.m. when the first pilgrims left. I am a late pilgrim and think 8 a.m. is early enough to leave. I also prefer not to walk in the dark, so I leave late. I ate my bread at the hostel with a piece of dark chocolate that I had received yesterday. The people at the hostel brought me some tea. They were very helpful anyway. Then I had my photo taken with the people from the hostel and it was time to leave.
I decided to take a different route than the official one in the guidebook. That route said that the detour was more beautiful than the shorter route via a road parallel to the motorway, which would be boring. But the route in the guidebook was a lot longer and had more mountains, so I decided to go for the boring option. But I thought it was a great road. Although it was quite close to the motorway, I only saw it occasionally. Otherwise, there were beautiful views of mountains (with some snow-capped peaks), beautiful yellow rapeseed fields, olive and vineyards and lots of blossoms. There was little traffic, more cyclists than cars. The cyclists all waved and wished me Buen Camino (have a good trip) or gave me a thumbs up. So, another good ride. My wheelchair is still working fine, fortunately no technical problems. And the weather was nice, sun, blue sky and clouds.
Now I am in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, at the inn. I am going into town shortly. I will write about that tomorrow. Unfortunately, I cannot visit the cathedral this afternoon as I had planned, because it is already closed. Hopefully, I will be able to do so tomorrow morning.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage, day 5, Santo Domingo de la Calzada -Belorado
april 7, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday afternoon, I visited the museum and the cathedral. There are roosters living in the cathedral! There is a remarkable 14th-century story behind this. A couple travelled to Santiago with their son, and in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, the son was falsely accused and hanged. On their way back, the parents saw that the boy was alive on the gallows. When they reported this to the judge, who was eating a roast cockerel at the time, he said, ‘That boy is as alive as this chicken.’ And then something miraculous happened: the roast chicken came to life and the boy was allowed to return to his parents. That is why there are roosters living in a chicken coop in the church.
There were two museums that I could visit with the same ticket. One was attached to the cathedral and the other was in a monastery. Both had all kinds of church art. Old, beautifully embroidered church vestments and cloths, liturgical objects, paintings, sculptures, an exhibition of all kinds of ivory objects and old church books. I also found the Stations of the Cross interesting, as they had Dutch text underneath them. It makes me curious as to how that ended up there. I also really enjoyed looking at the clothing and embroidery. I like sewing and doing all kinds of handicrafts, and I always enjoy seeing the techniques that are used. After the cathedral and the museums, I went back to the inn. I sat in the garden for a while and ate (the last bit of bread and cheese) and then went to bed around 8 p.m.
In the morning, I heard the first ones leaving early. I left around 8 a.m. but had to wait a while before I could actually set off because I needed bread and the supermarket didn’t open until 9 a.m. I wanted to take the same route as yesterday, but that road turned out to be closed. So I followed the route book. It was only 10 km more. Fortunately, it wasn’t very steep, mostly false flat, with a 1 to 3 per cent incline for most of the day, but that’s doable. I cycled through agricultural land. At first, I thought it was mostly grass, but it turned out to be grain, only 5 to 10 cm high. There were also some vineyards and lots of cheerful yellow rapeseed fields. Behind the fields, I could see the mountains.
On the way, I received a call from a journalist from the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper for an interview. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s published. It will probably be on Saturday.
Now I’m in Belorado. In the village, I saw beautifully painted houses. I’m now lying on my bed in the parish hostel.
Off to church at 7 p.m. and then an early night. After more than 30 km, my shoulders are feeling it. I could do with a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we continue!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day, 6 Belorado – Villafranca Montes de Oca
april 8, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday I wrote that I would go to church, which I did, but there was no service because the priest was attending a funeral. I did visit the church and got a stamp in my pilgrim’s passport (which was on a table at the back of the church).
Then I went back to the inn. I talked to the managers for a while and then got ready for bed. I had to plan this carefully because I was sleeping upstairs again (and the wheelchair was downstairs) and I can’t go up and down those stairs too often. Fortunately, I had thought of everything and hadn’t forgotten anything, so I didn’t have to go down the stairs again until after a good, long night’s sleep.
I had breakfast in the morning and then left. I had planned to cover a long distance, but I could feel in my body that this would be too much after yesterday’s long day, and today I had to choose between about 12 km or almost 30 km, with no place to sleep in between on my route. In the end, I opted for the shorter distance. I don’t have many photos today because it was a busy road with a lot of heavy traffic. Fortunately, it did quiet down a bit on that road by the end of the morning. From the road, I occasionally saw pilgrims walking along a sandy path.
I am now at the hostel, which is a hotel downstairs and a pilgrim hostel with dormitories upstairs. When I arrived, there were just two cyclists, but since 1 p.m. more and more pilgrims have been arriving. Some of them I have met before. I have just done a more extensive wash and hung it on a washing line together with my tent (which was still damp from the last time I camped). The tent will be dry soon and I’ll bring it back inside. Then I can use it again soon.
Now I’m lying comfortably in bed writing this. This afternoon and evening I’m taking it easy. Maybe I’ll tidy up a few things and transfer my photos from my camera to my hard drive, but mainly I’ll rest and lie down (since my operation I’m still not quite back to my old self, although my strength is still recovering, albeit very slowly). I’ll go to bed early tonight and continue tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage, Day 7, Villafranca Montes de Oca – Santovenia
april 9, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Had a fairly good night’s sleep, but from 6 a.m. onwards it became more restless in the ward and people started packing. Around 8 a.m. I had to leave the hostel, because I still needed bread and the shop wasn’t open yet, so I had to wait until 9 a.m. It was quite chilly in the morning. When the shop opened at 9 o’clock, it turned out they didn’t have any fresh bread, only pre-packaged, long-life bread. So I decided to wait a little longer because there is also a bakery that opens at 9.30. But in the end, it opened earlier and I was able to set off at 9.15. I followed the busy road again. Actually, the road isn’t even that busy compared to Dutch roads, but the point is that it’s almost exclusively (90% or so) lorry traffic. Huge numbers of lorries speeding by. Fortunately, almost all of them give me plenty of room. Many drivers honk their horns and wave cheerfully or give me a thumbs up.
On the way, I spoke to a Belgian cyclist (from Wallonia, we spoke English). Together we passed a roadblock where traffic was only allowed on one side of the road. My slowness (uphill) made the traffic jam even worse. Meanwhile, we talked about our routes and the reasons for being on the road. After the roadblock, he cycled on.
I spent a large part of the day cycling through the forest. I really love the forest, so I was happy about that. On the left, it was mainly coniferous forest and on the right, mainly deciduous trees. There were also trees in bloom at regular intervals. There was a steep climb until just after the road closure, but soon after that there was a gentle descent to my destination.
I also passed an old and interesting chapel on the side of the road, sadly in a state of disrepair. It’s a real shame that it is slowly decaying and becoming overgrown.
Now I am at the hostel in Santovenia. My wheelchair is in the storage room of the restaurant downstairs and I am in the dormitory on the first floor. So far, I have the whole dormitory to myself. This hostel is just off the official route, so I wonder if many others will come. We’ll have to wait and see.
I hope to arrive in Burgos tomorrow. Hopefully, my wheelchair part will also arrive here tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. It has been sent, but unfortunately I cannot yet see when it will arrive (the estimate was 3 to 4 working days from Tuesday). Otherwise, I will unfortunately have to stay there longer. Because I am looking forward to being able to repair the on/off switch and use it again. (For those who missed it, my wheelchair broke down a few days ago, but I was able to repair it temporarily).
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Rolstoelpelgrim
Pilgrimage Day 8, Santovenia – Burgos
april 10, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
No other pilgrims arrived at the hostel last night. Around 6 p.m., the owner closed up and I was there alone. It was quite nice to have the place to myself. So no snoring people tonight and no people leaving at 4 a.m.
I left a little after 8 a.m. Today I followed the cycle route. It was a beautiful route with only one steep climb (up to 15%, but only 700 metres long); the rest was relatively flat. I saw and heard many birds along the way. In any case, I see a lot of birds here that I don’t think I normally have in my back garden in the Netherlands (I don’t have many birds in my garden anyway, mainly a magpie that always sits on the fence and then flies to the door handle and back again! Other than that, unfortunately, there are few birds in my garden). Now I just need to figure out what birds they are, but unfortunately, they don’t all stay in front of my lens. Today was mainly agricultural land. Lots of grain (I don’t know what kind, it looks like 10 cm tall grass now). Again today, there were lots of trees in bloom. In any case, more and more is blooming. There are still some bare trees, but slowly everything is coming back to life. In that respect, this is a very nice time to be out and about, enjoying nature every day.
As for the roads, I cycled along quiet roads and even some cycle paths. So that was really nice. Especially after the past few days with busier roads.
Last night, I received a message that the parcel with the wheelchair part I had been eagerly awaiting would arrive in Burgos today. And so did I, so that’s perfect. That’s why I drove past the campsite first to go to the collection point. And now I finally have it! I kept the parcel closed because I don’t want to repair it at the campsite. I’m afraid of losing a part in the grass or something. I’ll do it somewhere in a hostel or other safe place.
After briefly cycling through the centre of Burgos and viewing the cathedral from the outside, I proceeded to the campsite. I set up my tent and am now recharging everything. I plan to retire early tonight as I intend to be at the cathedral at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning for mass. That means departing the campsite at 8 a.m.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 9, Burgos – Cavia
april 11, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Because I wanted to be at church at 9 o’clock, I left at exactly 8 o’clock, but when I sat down in my wheelchair, I noticed that my right tyre was flat. Not a good moment, because I was in a hurry. I pumped up the tyre first, hoping it would stay full, and rolled to church. It stayed full until I got there, but halfway through the service I noticed it had gone flat again. Fortunately, it had held up for the first part, so I was able to attend the Eucharist. After the service, a blue sister (officially called Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Materá, SSVM. Some of my followers will be familiar with these sisters, who also have a convent in The Hague, and I also know a number of Dutch sisters and their families) stamped my pilgrim’s passport. After the celebration, I replaced my inner tube just outside the church. I practised changing tyres a lot last year, so it was quite easy this time. Hopefully, this will be the only tyre I need to replace this year.
Because I had used up an inner tube and still wanted to keep my supply of tyres up to date, I decided to continue my journey via Decathlon, which was fortunately only about 2 km from my route. But all in all, this meant that I didn’t leave Burgos until after noon.
It was a pleasant ride, my tyre stayed hard so I could roll along nicely on quiet roads. I rolled past several small villages where, unfortunately, all the churches were closed. However, there was a stork’s nest on every church tower. I also saw many birds of prey in the distance.
The ride was slightly hilly, but at an altitude of between 800 and 950 metres, so it is higher than it looks and feels on this large plateau.
Now I’m at the campsite in Cavia, which I think is a nice name for the town (Cavia is Dutch for guinea pig). The weather has been great all day, but just as I finished pitching my tent, it started to drizzle, and now it’s really raining. Now I’m lying comfortably in my tent, listening to the raindrops on the tent fabric while I write this blog. My battery is in the toilet block and I don’t have to worry about anyone touching it because there’s no one else here. I have the whole campsite to myself. There is a restaurant, though. When I checked in, I was given a bottle of water because, although it seems to be safe to drink, she said it doesn’t taste very good. So that’s a good solution.
I’ll go to bed early again tonight and then continue tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 10, Cavia – Castrojeriz
april 12, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Last night I wrote that it was raining, which continued for most of the night, but when I woke up it was dry, thankfully. And it stayed that way. Despite the campsite being located between a motorway and two railway lines, with freight trains thundering past all night, I slept well. I left the campsite just after 8 a.m. and first had to cycle about 3 kilometres along a sandy road. I had already cycled part of that road to the campsite yesterday, so I knew I had to go back and even further along that path. It was reasonably passable, but because of the rain, I had to zigzag around the (sometimes very) deep puddles. Even though it wasn’t raining, I had put on my rain gear and closed work gloves instead of my leather fingerless gloves, which was a good thing, because at the end of the path I was completely covered in clay-like mud.
Once I was back on a normal asphalt road and the sun came out, it luckily dried up and I was able to get rid of the worst of the mud. In the afternoon, I took off my rain suit and went back to riding with my normal gloves.
Today started with two periods of climbing, but fortunately they weren’t too difficult. After that, it was downhill and mainly (relatively) flat. Lots of agriculture. Also lots of different birds, and I regularly saw rabbits jumping around. Except for that first stretch of sandy path, the roads were lovely with little traffic.
Unfortunately, another flat tyre, punctured in the same place as yesterday. Luckily, I found the cause: a sharp spoke. Luckily, yesterday at Decathlon I bought not only inner tubes but also special tape for the rim. I’ve stuck that on now and hopefully the tyres will stay intact. I cycled past the ruins of an old monastery church, but unfortunately it was closed. I had hoped to spend the night there because it’s also a hostel. But unfortunately, that didn’t work out. I couldn’t find out online whether or not they were open. So I ended up continuing on and ended up at an inn in Castrojeriz. Just before I arrived at the inn, there was a short shower, but fortunately it stayed dry today. As I write this, there is a huge shower and thunderstorm.
Early this morning, I was informed that I am featured in today’s newspaper! Last week, I had an enjoyable telephone interview, and now here is the result. In the Algemeen Dagblad van het Groene Hart newspaper. You can read it here.
My wheelchair is charging again now, which is much needed after more than 30 kilometres. I’m going to recharge myself too, on my bed. A good night’s sleep and then we’ll continue tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage, Day 11, Castrojeriz – Frómista
april 13, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
At 4 a.m., the first alarm clock went off in the dormitory. I tried to sleep until 6 a.m., but then it was time for me to pack up. In the first village I passed through, I looked at the church. I hoped to find a church service somewhere on Palm Sunday, because where I was staying, it didn’t start until 1 p.m., and I couldn’t wait that long. The church was closed, but there was a note on the door with the times and locations of services in the region. I read that there would be a service at 11:30 a.m. about 6 km away, just off my route in Itero del Castillo. That worked out well, so I rolled on over there. I had made good time and arrived much too early. The church looked as if it had never been used. There were weeds in front of the door and the “wheelchair accessible route” was so overgrown (with weeds up to a metre high) that I wondered if there would be a service at all. Especially after a passer-by in the village said that services are only ever held on Saturdays. Fortunately, at 11:20 (10 minutes before the service), someone arrived with the key, followed immediately by a priest and two older teenage boys who were altar boys. The two boys helped me get my chair over the high threshold, and then I was inside the church. In the end, there were fewer than ten of us (including myself, the priest, the altar boys, and very few villagers). The celebration began with the story of Palm Sunday, a mini procession from outside to inside with “palm leaves” (in the Netherlands, boxwood is used for this, but here I was given a branch from a pine tree). Then the celebration began. Afterwards, the boys helped me outside again and I continued on my way.
I cycled on relatively flat terrain all day, passing vast fields of grain and crops that I cannot yet recognise because they are too small. I see many birds flying and hear them singing. Apart from the birds and the wind, it is quiet. There are hardly any cars on the roads I am riding on; if I see two per hour, that’s about it. I do enjoy rolling through the countryside in such tranquillity. I drove past a canal with a number of locks. Nos. 17, 18, 19 and 20, which are located one after the other. I read that they are no longer in use, but it was nice to see them.
When I arrived in Frómista, I went to an inn. Unfortunately, it was full because two other inns here are closed. Fortunately, there was another one that was open. On the way there, I saw that the church here was open, so I took a look inside. It’s not often that churches are open here. Then I went to the inn, where fortunately there was room.
Just ate some stale bread with tasty blue cheese and some fruit in the garden of the inn, and now I’m back in bed writing. This time in a room with three bunk beds. Fortunately, today was a day without any major problems, no flat tyres or anything like that. And even the weather stayed good; despite the forecast rain, I didn’t feel a single drop. Tomorrow I’ll continue, but first I’ll rest and go to bed early.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 12, Frómista – Carrión de los Condes
april 14, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
After a long night, I set off again around 8 o’clock this morning. First, I stopped at St. Martinus Church to take some photos of the statues on the outside of the church. Then I looked up the route.
All day long, I rolled alongside the walking pilgrims. I was on the road and they were on an unpaved path next to it. I usually roll a little faster than most walkers, so I overtake everyone and see a lot of people. I also spoke to several pilgrims along the way. I had many nice conversations. But on the other hand, I also noticed that I found it harder to find peace today.
In the village of Villacázar de Sirga stood an impressive Cluniac-style church. Those medieval brothers of Cluny (where I will be in 2020/2021) spread their architectural style far and wide. Over the years, I have come across many of their monasteries and churches along the way.
I am already at my sleeping place in Carrión de los Condes. The next stop is almost 20 km further, so the choice was between a shorter day (20 km) or a longer day (40 km). I opted for the shorter one, but there is still plenty to do here at the hostel. It is a hostel that is normally run by Augustinian nuns, but because of Holy Week, they were allowed to visit their families for a week. Now there are other managers. I happened to meet one of them on the road about 3 km before arriving at the hostel. That was handy because he was able to tell me about the accessibility.
At 6 p.m., everyone gathers here and is told something about this place. At 7 p.m., there is mass in the church next door, and at 8.30 p.m., there is a meal. Instead of paying for it, they ask everyone who eats with them to buy an ingredient. I have been asked to provide four tomatoes. I think this is a nice idea. I will let you know tomorrow how everything went. Now I am going to lie down on my bed and rest so that I can enjoy the evening. Because I am sure I will not go to bed early now that dinner is so late.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 13, Carrión de los Condes – Sahagún
april 15, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday afternoon, I wrote my blog early, but the evening was very special. That’s why I’ll start there. After doing some shopping in the afternoon, I first took a rest.
At 6 p.m., we started with a nice group conversation in which we got to know each other and discussed our pilgrimage. Then it was time to go to church. In the church, I saw a group of people sitting in rather striking clothing, so I expected something special to happen. And it did. After the service, a procession began. It was very impressive. A large band, lots of people in special costumes and a group of people carrying a huge cross on their shoulders. Many balconies in the streets were decorated with cloths bearing Christian images.
It was very special to experience this. And there is a good chance of more processions this week. So I am curious.
One of my followers sent me a link with a map showing where and when church services are on the route, so I hope to make good use of that this week.
During the procession, I spoke at length with the group of hospitaleros (managers of a pilgrim hostel), and they even gave me an Augustinian cross (which they themselves wear as employees of an Augustinian hostel).
Afterwards, we were served a delicious meal, which was very enjoyable, and then it was time to go to bed. Just before I went to bed, I was also invited to have breakfast with the hospitaleros. After that, I had a wonderful night’s sleep.
In the morning, I packed everything up again, loaded it onto my wheelchair, and had breakfast with the hospitaleros. It was delicious, with bread, oranges, strawberries, cake, and Spanish biscuits. At 9 o’clock, it was time to leave. Fortunately, today was also fairly flat, which was good because I wanted to cover a considerable distance.
I rolled through a landscape of green cornfields and yellow fields of rapeseed. More and more leaves are appearing on the trees and everything is turning green. Again, there were lots of birds, both small ones and large birds of prey and storks. It was very cold, especially the wind, which was icy. I put on my rain suit to keep the wind out. Even my heavy leather hat kept blowing off. In the end, I tied it under my chin with the strap. Around noon, the temperature improved slightly, but it was still cold and windy. The sky was blue with clouds. A beautiful sight. And apart from two drops, it stayed dry.
After 28 kilometres, I was almost at the first option for sleeping. There, I decided to roll on a bit further because I still felt good and it was still early. Eventually, I went to a place to sleep at 44 kilometres. The last few kilometres, I was glad I was almost there. I am now sleeping in a hostel run by Marianists. I have stayed there before, but that was in northern France in 2019.
At 6 p.m., I had another group conversation at the hostel. It was nice to hear what other pilgrims are doing and why they set out on their journey. After that, there was a church service with a pilgrim’s blessing, and we had another communal meal. Here, as at the previous place, you bring something to eat and they make a meal out of it. I didn’t have time (or energy) to go shopping, but I still had two mandarins and a tomato, so that was my contribution today. We just had a very pleasant meal, pasta and lots of side dishes.
And now I’m going to get some sleep as soon as possible.
Tomorrow is another day.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 14, Sahagún – El Burgo Ranero
april 16, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Slept well last night. Packed up in the morning, had breakfast at the inn and then left. The day started with blue skies, but it soon turned grey. Fortunately, I had rolled far yesterday, so my distance for today was quite short. It was freezing cold. When I left, it was 0°C and later it reached a maximum of around 5°C. On top of that, there was an icy wind. About an hour and a half before I arrived at my destination, it started to rain, with occasional wet snow.
I was riding on a quiet asphalt road with a footpath next to it, so I regularly saw other pilgrims. Just before the rain started, I got talking to two pilgrims, from California and Argentina (the whole world walks here; besides Europeans, I also met many people from various countries in North/Central/South America, South Africa and various Asian countries, especially South Korea and Japan, which are well represented). and by talking about our pilgrimage, we helped each other through the cold.
I didn’t pay much attention to nature along the way, as I was mainly focused on keeping myself warm. I had put on pretty much all my clothes and it was still cold.
I passed a small hermit’s church (I don’t think it’s in use anymore). These kinds of places are common here. Unfortunately, they have all been closed so far.
Fortunately, I arrived at the inn around noon. Actually, it was an hour before it opened, but luckily they didn’t make me wait; there were already a few other people inside. So I was able to check in. Downstairs (I’m sleeping upstairs again) there is a wood-burning stove where I warmed myself up while waiting to register. Now I’m lying in my sleeping bag on the bed, but I’m still not really warm. Once I’ve finished writing this blog, I’m going to fill my steel bottle with hot water to use as a hot water bottle and make a cup of hot chocolate. I still have a bag of instant hot chocolate. Maybe that will warm me up.
The topic of conversation among the pilgrims here is also the cold and snow. A friendly American has just done some shopping for me, so I don’t have to go outside today. Tomorrow is expected to be cold again, but it looks like it will be dry.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 13, Carrión de los Condes – Sahagún
april 15, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday afternoon, I wrote my blog early, but the evening was very special. That’s why I’ll start there. After doing some shopping in the afternoon, I first took a rest.
At 6 p.m., we started with a nice group conversation in which we got to know each other and discussed our pilgrimage. Then it was time to go to church. In the church, I saw a group of people sitting in rather striking clothing, so I expected something special to happen. And it did. After the service, a procession began. It was very impressive. A large band, lots of people in special costumes and a group of people carrying a huge cross on their shoulders. Many balconies in the streets were decorated with cloths bearing Christian images.
It was very special to experience this. And there is a good chance of more processions this week. So I am curious.
One of my followers sent me a link with a map showing where and when church services are on the route, so I hope to make good use of that this week.
During the procession, I spoke at length with the group of hospitaleros (managers of a pilgrim hostel), and they even gave me an Augustinian cross (which they themselves wear as employees of an Augustinian hostel).
Afterward, we enjoyed a delicious meal, which was very enjoyable. Then it was time to go to bed. Just before I went to bed, I was invited to breakfast with the hospitaleros. I had a wonderful night’s sleep afterward.
In the morning, I packed everything up again and loaded it into my wheelchair, and then had breakfast with the hospitaleros. It was delicious with bread, orange, strawberries, cake, and Spanish cookies. At 9:00 a.m., it was time to leave. Fortunately, the weather was relatively flat again today, which was perfect because I wanted to cover a considerable distance.
I rolled through a landscape of green cornfields and yellow rapeseed fields. More and more leaves are appearing on the trees, and everything is turning green. Lots of birds again, both young ones and large raptors and storks. It was very cold, though, and the wind was especially icy. I put on my raincoat to keep the wind out. Even my heavy leather hat kept blowing off. I finally tied it under my chin with the strap. Towards noon, the temperature improved slightly, but it was still cold and windy. The sky was blue with clouds. A beautiful sight. And apart from two drops, it stayed dry.
After 28 kilometers, I was almost at my first option: sleep. There, I decided to roll a bit further because I still felt good and it was still early. Finally, I went to a place to sleep at 44 km. For the last few kilometers, I was glad to be almost there. I’m now sleeping in a Marianist inn. I’ve stayed at Marianists before, but back in northern France in 2019.
At 6:00 PM, I had another group discussion at the hostel. It was nice to hear what other pilgrims are doing and why they’ve set out on this journey. Afterward, there was a church service with a pilgrim blessing, and we’re having a communal meal here again. Like at the previous location, you give them some food, which they then use to make a meal. I didn’t have the time (or energy) to go grocery shopping, but I still had two tangerines and a tomato, so that was my contribution today. We just had a lovely meal: pasta and lots of side dishes.
And now I’m going to sleep as soon as possible.
Tomorrow is another day.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 14, Sahagún – El Burgo Ranero
april 16, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Slept well last night. Packed in the morning and had breakfast at the inn, then left. The day started with a blue sky, but it quickly turned gray. Luckily, I’d rolled a long way yesterday, so my distance for today was quite short. It was icy cold. When I left, it was 0°C (32°F), and later it reached a maximum of around 5°C (41°F). On top of that, there was a windy, icy wind. About an hour and a half before I arrived at my destination, it started raining, with occasional sleet.
I was driving on a quiet asphalt road next to the hiking trail, so I regularly saw other pilgrims. Just before the rain shower, I struck up a conversation with two pilgrims, one from California and one from Argentina (the whole world walks here; besides Europeans, I’ve also met many people from various countries in North, Central, and South America, South Africa, and several Asian countries, with South Korea and Japan being particularly well represented), and by talking about our pilgrimage, we helped each other through the cold.
I didn’t really notice nature along the way; I was mainly trying to keep warm. I’d put on almost all my clothes, and it was still cold.
I passed a small hermit’s church (I don’t think it’s in use anymore). Places like this are common here. Unfortunately, they’ve always been closed so far.
Luckily, I arrived at the hostel around noon. Actually, an hour before it opened, but thankfully they didn’t keep me waiting; a few others were already inside. So I was able to check in. Downstairs (I’m sleeping upstairs again) is a wood-burning stove where I thawed out while waiting for check-in. Now I’m lying in my sleeping bag on the bed, but I’m still not really warm. As soon as I’m done writing this blog post, I’ll fill my steel bottle with hot water and make a cup of hot chocolate. I still have a sachet of instant chocolate milk. Maybe that’ll warm me up.
The talk of the town among the pilgrims here is also the cold and snow. A friendly American just did some shopping for me, so I don’t have to go out anymore today. Tomorrow is forecast to be cold again, but it looks like it will be dry.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 15, El Burgo Ranero -Mansilla de las Mulas
april 17, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
After a long, restful night’s sleep, it was time to leave again. Just before 8 a.m., I set off. I rolled quite hard because it was cold again, and I hoped to warm up a bit this way. It was around freezing, and the plants on the verges still had a layer of ice. Fortunately, there wasn’t as much wind as yesterday, and the sun was shining. During the first half of my route, I overtook many pilgrims. I briefly spoke to a Belgian man who had also slept in my dormitory the night before, and then I continued on. After a while, I had passed everyone, and the road became quiet. That was nice, because because no one had passed by yet and it was so peaceful, I saw lots of birds again and even a fox crossing the road! And luckily, I had my camera within reach, so I was able to capture it! There were hardly any cars on this road, so it was a pleasant and peaceful journey.
By 11 a.m., I had already rolled almost 20 km and arrived at my final destination. The inn didn’t open until 1:00 PM, so I had to wait a bit. First, I did some shopping. On the way, I came across a chapel/hermitage that was actually open, and I briefly peeked inside (my wheelchair couldn’t get in, and I don’t dare leave it unattended for long). Then I went to the churches in the city center to see which one was having the Holy Thursday Mass and procession tonight. It wasn’t hard to find, as there were already signs everywhere indicating that the road would be closed for certain times due to the procession. In the church, I read that Mass starts at 6:30 PM, followed by the procession. I also got a stamp. So I’m going there tonight, and you can expect a report tomorrow! Now I’m lying in bed at the inn. The Belgian and several other well-known pilgrims have also arrived here.
Even though it wasn’t a long day, I’m very tired and have a bit of a cold. So, I need to get some good rest so I can hit the road again tonight.
Rolstoelpelgrim
Pilgrimage Day 16, Mansilla de las Mulas – Leon
april 18, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday I wrote that I would be attending a church service and procession, and here’s my report. It was even grander than last Monday.
First, there was the usual Maundy Thursday service, followed by the impressive procession. As I left the church, everyone was getting ready. There were various groups of people wearing different clothes and colors (mainly black, red, and purple). Many groups wore clothes and pointed hats that reminded me of the Ku Klux Klan. But on Wikipedia, I found that Spanish Catholics were the first to wear this attire.
The various groups carried various statues on stretchers through the city, moving slowly to the rhythm of the mournful music played by a large brass band and drums. After watching everything pass by at the beginning of the procession, I was standing in front of the church, going against the flow of the procession until the group passed by again. Then it was time for me to go back to the inn. I had another good night’s sleep there.
This morning I set out again. Instead of the official cycling route, I followed a different, shorter option that partially paralleled the walking pilgrims. Only I was rolling on asphalt, while they were walking on the sand next to the road. Their route also deviated from my main route a few times. It was a rather boring route of about 20km. Luckily, I’d already done my grocery shopping yesterday, because today almost all the shops are closed. Only bars and a few small shops in the town center are open, but the regular supermarkets are closed.
I’m currently in Leon, staying at an inn near a monastery. There’s a church around the corner where services are being held today at 3:30 and 7:00 PM. The procession will depart from the monastery after the last service. I’ll write about that tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 17, Leon – Hospital de Órbigo,
april 19, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday afternoon, after writing my previous blog post, I went into town. First to the cathedral. There was an entrance fee, and in principle, I don’t go to churches where I have to pay. A church isn’t a museum for me, and paying for one goes against my principles. When I went in to get a stamp, I saw that there’s no entrance fee for people with disabilities, so I decided to take a look inside anyway. It’s a beautiful cathedral. I didn’t have much time, so after a tour of the church, I moved on. I also passed all sorts of shops where the windows clearly show how important the processions are here.
The church service began in the church near the convent. It was a beautiful Good Friday celebration with the religious sisters singing beautifully.
After the service, I briefly went back to my room, but after half an hour I had to leave again to watch the procession. But then something went wrong… I rolled across a cobblestone square to get to a good spot, but what I hadn’t noticed was that amidst all those bumpy stones was all sorts of broken glass, until I felt I had (another) flat tire. I left the square as quickly as possible. I found a spot opposite the monastery. As the procession started, I found a spare tire (my last one) and changed it. What a hassle… luckily, when the procession began, I was able to sit in a full chair again. This procession was also impressive. Although I wasn’t in an ideal spot. It was enormous and very crowded, making finding another spot impossible. Especially since I didn’t want to roll across that one square with glass again. But despite that, it was a good evening. Again, with lots of pointed hats and a very large stretcher with statues. Finally, I went back to my sleeping place and had a good night’s sleep. In the morning, I packed again, loaded everything onto my wheelchair, and then left. While packing, I watched them tidy up everything from yesterday’s procession. It was interesting to see how Mary was lifted from the stretcher into a van (it was a Fiat, which Mary had before she gave it to God 😉) and everything was disassembled and dismantled.
When I rolled away, it was unfortunately not directly to my route but to Decathlon, which as far as I could find was the only bike shop open on this Saturday. I needed new inner tubes again; the two I’d bought are unfortunately already used/punctured. Hopefully, I won’t have to use my supply of new inner tubes for a while. I also forgot to bring a pair of pliers for my tool bag, so I picked them up at the hardware store next to Decathlon, as well as new work gloves (my old ones were starting to wear out). So, I’m all set for the time being.
Once I got going, I first had a short but steep climb, and then a section that went slowly uphill. Halfway up, it was mostly downhill, but the elevation gain is minimal. I’m on a plateau here, and although relatively flat, the elevation is always between 800 and 900 meters. That’s why it’s colder here than elsewhere, even though this part of Spain (northwest) is colder and wetter than the rest of Spain anyway. I drove most of today on the N120. It was quite a busy road at first, but thankfully it gradually became quieter. Today I read on a sign that it’s only 300km to Santiago (even less now), so it’s getting closer now.
The day started with perfect weather, but halfway through the day it started to drizzle occasionally, but later it turned into hail and freezing rain, and the wind picked up—an icy wind!
Around 5:00 PM I finally arrived at my destination, the parish hostel in Hospital de Órbigo. A beautiful old building.
There’s another church service tonight at 9 p.m. (Easter Vigil). More about that tomorrow. Until then, I’ll get some rest and hopefully have a good night’s sleep after church. After about 40 km of rolling, I’m ready for that.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 18, Hospital de Órbigo – Astorga – Murias de Rechivaldo
april 20, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Last night I went to the Easter Vigil at Hospital de Órbigo. It was a beautiful service where the priest lit the Paschal candle outside, and everyone received a candle to light from it. Afterward, we went inside behind the priest into the dark church where the light was turned on, symbolizing the light of Easter. The rest of the service followed. It was already after 10:00 PM when I got back to the hostel. I’d heard that there would be a service in Astorga (16km away) at noon on Easter that was worth attending, so I went there. It turned out to be a shorter night than usual, as I really wanted to leave at 8:00 AM, so I got up at 6:00 AM. Despite driving on the N120 again, it was a beautiful drive. There were more trees, conifers, and frequent olive groves. But most of all, I enjoyed the magnificent snow-capped mountains in the distance. A magnificent sight! (If you zoom in on the photo you can hopefully see it, it’s not just clouds).
At 11:30, I arrived in Astorga, so I drove straight to the cathedral. I quickly found a very nice spot at the front of the crowded cathedral. I had missed the procession before the service (I only learned about it later), but a stretcher bearing a resurrected Jesus entered the church, again carried by people in finery, but thankfully without pointed hats! It was placed at the front. Then the service began with the bishop. After the service, the bishop came over to shake my hand and ask where I was from and if I was a pilgrim. So, we had a quick chat, and I also gave him my business card (which I hand out a lot along the way).
Afterward, everyone went outside for the procession. It was interesting to see: one carrying Jesus and the other Mary, both walking in separate processions (with musicians, a standard-bearer, etc.), and occasionally they met for a song.
Besides the beautiful cathedral, there’s also a bishop’s palace by Gaudí. Interesting to see.
After that, I left the city. I had initially planned to stay there, but I found it too crowded and, having seen that the cheap hostel was extremely inaccessible (huge steps in front of the door), decided to go to a hostel in a village 5km away. A good choice. I’m staying there with a Hungarian woman, and the manager is incredibly helpful. I have a spacious dormitory where my wheelchair fits next to my bed.
I also finally had the time and space to repair my wheelchair with the part I picked up in Burgos (it was shipped from the Netherlands). It wasn’t very complicated, and I’m glad the button works again! That saves me the hassle of inserting and removing batteries.
After the renovations, the floor here was dirty, but when I tried to clean it up, the manager immediately took over. I wasn’t allowed to help, and he even gave me a cup of tea!
I’m going to bed soon; I’ll continue tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage Day 19, Murias de Rechivaldo – Rabanal del Camino
april 21, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Last night I was at the inn with a Hungarian woman; no one else came, so we had a quiet night. It was quite cold at first, but in the evening they lit a pallet stove. It was lovely to see the fire burning from bed, and the temperature also improved. So, we had a good night. In the morning, we had breakfast: yogurt, bread with jam, and a cup of tea (coffee was also available, but that’s not my cup of tea). At 8 a.m. I set off. All day, I climbed a bit, between 1% and 5%.
On the way, I met a Dutch family on their bikes. They invited me to have tea there. Wonderful, considering the cold and occasional rain. Luckily, it was dry at that moment. We talked briefly about our travels and enjoyed hot tea and some treats. Then I received a phone call from my son, telling me that Pope Francis had passed away. Although he was old and ill, it was still unexpected. You’ll notice this is a hot topic of conversation among the pilgrims today, especially if you’ve already heard of his passing. Many people here don’t follow the news much, so it’s easy to miss something. But the pilgrim tom-tom does a good job when something big happens.
After tea, we said goodbye, and I continued my journey. I enjoyed the ride, with beautiful scenery and more trees/forest than last week. Lovely plants and flowers along the roadside. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very clear, so I couldn’t see many of the mountains, but I briefly had a glimpse of the snow-capped peak, and then it disappeared again. The drizzle was less pleasant. But luckily, my belongings and I were well-packed in waterproof clothing. A few days ago, I’d bought new work gloves for the walk, and they came in handy because they’re waterproof and keep my wet rubber handrims gripped, even in the rain, and my hands dry. I also brought other waterproof gloves, but they were too warm/thick for today and don’t grip as well in rain. So I have multiple gloves for different weather conditions. Luckily, they don’t take up much space.
I’d actually planned to roll a village further so I wouldn’t have to climb as much tomorrow (after this village, there’s a steep climb to about 1500 meters), but because my first battery was already dead, I didn’t dare tackle that climb. So I decided to stay in Rabanal del Camino. Here I met the Belgian again. There’s a group of pilgrims I regularly encounter, either on the road or at the inn.
Now I’m at the inn. They have tea time at 5:00 PM, and there’s another church service this evening. There’s also a Benedictine monastery here. Last week, with all the celebrations and processions, was very enjoyable and impressive, but also very tiring. Especially because I had to roll certain distances to reach certain churches. I’m very happy that my plan worked out and I was able to experience everything. But I’m glad that from now on I can be a bit more flexible and roll as long or as short as I want, and that I can listen to my body a bit more.
My laundry is hanging on the clothesline (I washed it last night, but in this weather it’s not drying, it’s even getting wetter). I’ve written my blog post, so now I’m going to rest for a bit. More tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 20, Rabanal del camino- Acebo de San Miguel
april 22, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Yesterday afternoon we had tea at the inn, which was very pleasant. In the evening, I went to evening prayer and the closing ceremony (Vespers and Compline) in the church across from the inn. The Benedictine monks sang Gregorian chant, which was beautiful. Afterward, I thankfully fell asleep despite my terrible mattress. In the morning, after breakfast, I left.
Although the first part was quite challenging due to a climb, it was a truly beautiful ride. I enjoyed the view of the snow-capped mountains. I also enjoyed all the flowers and plants I saw. The roadsides were covered in purple-flowered shrubs, resembling heather bushes, but taller.
Last night, I cleared my phone’s memory by transferring photos to a hard drive, which was a good thing because I took a ton of pictures today. After about 5km, the first battery was already dead, so I put in a new one. To be sure I’d make it through the day, I immediately connected the dead battery to the power station so it could charge. After nearly getting stranded in the Pyrenees last year, I decided to take this with me so I wouldn’t run out of power again. With the power station, I can charge one wheelchair battery about ¾ full, and when the sun is shining, even a little more with solar power. Luckily, I only managed to get by with two batteries, so it wasn’t necessary, but it did provide some peace of mind.
After another 2km of climbing, I arrived at Cruz de Ferro, an iron cross that’s a key landmark on this trip. It’s a place where many people leave a stone they brought from home as a symbol of something they want to leave behind on their journey. There, I took some time to rest and eat something. I also spoke to two Dutch people.
After Cruz de Ferro, the terrain flattened out for a bit, followed by another steep climb where I even had to roll backwards for a bit (to avoid tipping over). At that highest point (over 1500 meters high), there was still snow scattered on the side of the road. Fortunately, it wasn’t cold, but the sun was shining brightly. After all that climbing came a steep descent. But there, at the highest point, was a stunning view of the valley and countless mountains. Almost all around, there were snow-capped peaks!
Halfway down, I came across a village, and I decided I’d had enough. I’m now at the inn. Although the distance wasn’t very far, I found it physically demanding today, but the view was magnificent, making it a very good day. I’m now sitting in the inn’s garden, enjoying the sunshine, writing this. I have no plans for tonight, so I’m going to bed early. The innkeeper warned me upon arrival that they had no heating, but with my warm sleeping bag and perhaps a bottle of hot water, I stayed warm.
I just got a call from Omroep West. There will likely be a short interview with me on both TV and radio on Friday. I’ll keep you updated on how and when it will be broadcast.
See you tomorrow!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 21, Acebo de San Miguel – Cacabelos
april 23, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Slept pretty well last night. Initially, I had some leg/foot pain from climbing the stairs, but after taking an extra painkiller, I fell asleep pretty quickly. I packed up pretty quickly in the morning. Around 7:30, I rolled out of the hostel.
The ride started with a long, steep descent. Last night, I’d charged my batteries as usual, but in hindsight, I shouldn’t have. My batteries recharge during descents, which kept my wheels from malfunctioning. I finally tried to drain the battery by rolling uphill, but this cost me more energy than the battery itself. So, after some hesitation, I finally decided to descend without the motor. The downside is that I don’t get any braking assistance from the motor, which normally keeps me from rolling faster than about 8 to 9 kilometers per hour. This time, I had to brake myself with the (non-electrically assisted) handrims and the handbrake on my front wheel. This made the descent more exciting and a bit faster, but I still rolled down the mountain at about 10 to 12 km per hour.
Along the way, there was a beautiful view of the valley, and all sorts of beautiful plants and flowers grew against the rock face. Especially lots of broom, lavender, and a flower that Google told me was Cistus Ladanifer.
After the long descent, it became almost flat (so I could start the engine again!), and I arrived in Ponferada. I had planned to spend the night there, but it was still before noon. After admiring the beautiful and large castle from the outside, visiting the basilica, and getting a stamp at the tourist information, I decided to move on.
Except for a few small climbs and descents, it was mostly flat. Along the way, I passed small villages where I could even peek inside the church. The door was open, but a table had been placed in front of it, preventing me from entering. There was a guest book and a stamp, so I filled it out and put the stamp in my pilgrim’s passport. It’s almost full again. Then I rolled along a quiet road lined with vegetable gardens and vineyards.
Now I’m in Cacabelos, staying in a hostel. I’m sharing a room with three other people. I haven’t seen one yet (I only know he/she has a blue sleeping bag), and the other two are a French couple. So I’ve had a chance to practice my French again.
I’m going to bed early tonight because I’m very tired. I’m on the road again tomorrow.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 22, Cacabelos- Las Herrerias
april 24, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Despite having three roommates, I had a peaceful night’s sleep. I woke up just before my alarm. Then I slowly started packing, and around 8 a.m. I rolled out again.
Today was a day of climbing, sometimes quite steep and sometimes gently sloping, but it was almost constantly uphill. I rolled through beautiful old villages. There were many vineyards, and I also saw a huge wine press dating back to the 18th century. In Villafranca del Bierzo, I rolled past a massive castle.
Besides the beautiful things, I also notice that some things here are truly faded; I regularly see half-collapsed and neglected houses.
I really enjoyed nature again today. So many flowers. When I started three weeks ago, everything was still bare, and now the trees are green and everything is in bloom. The road was quiet, and I often drove along the side of the road in a protected area for pilgrims. I regularly rolled over small bridges with rushing streams beneath them.
There was hardly any agriculture at the time, apart from a few vegetable gardens. I did regularly see meadows with sheep and cows. The cows here have large horns on their heads. I think that’s a beautiful sight.
I also visited a small shop with local products where I bought a bag of aniseed cookies. Delicious! Outside, there was a sort of market stall with fruit, and I bought some tangerines there. The citrus fruit is very good here (no wonder, since it’s typically Spanish). Later, I also found a shop with bread, which I needed because I was almost out of it, and the little I had was very old and dry.
I’m trying to collect two stamps a day, but at first it wasn’t so easy. I only really need to do that for the last 100 kilometers, and I’m just under 200 km now, but I’m already aiming for it. I also enjoy collecting lots of stamps. Luckily, just before I got here, I found an open church with a stamp.
Now at the hostel. Another stamp here, two in fact, because one is in my full pilgrim’s passport and one is in my new one. My batteries are plugged in, because tomorrow is a very tough day, a very steep and long climb. Time to go to bed early, because my energy is also depleted after almost 30km of climbing.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 23, Las Herrerias – La Laguna
april 25, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
After starting my day this morning with fully charged batteries, things quickly became difficult. The average gradient today was 9%, but there were many sections that were much steeper. After about 1 kilometer, things went wrong. I had to roll backward (due to my balance, I can reverse steeper slopes) and suddenly I felt my front wheel release. It turned out the attachment had vibrated loose right under my wheelchair. Fortunately, I’ve solved this problem before, but the hardest part was having to remove all sorts of things attached to/under my wheelchair (including the battery bag) to get to them. That was a tedious task. But luckily, I managed! After more than half an hour, I was able to roll again.
The climb was incredibly difficult; my average speed today was 1 km per hour. Every meter of climbing was incredibly hard work. Meter by meter, I crawled upward. The batteries drained very quickly. After about 2.5 kilometers, the first one was already dead. I immediately connected it to the power station so it could charge. Then I rolled on my second battery. But it remained incredibly tough, for me, but also for my wheels, which regularly failed because it was too heavy. I could barely make it up and several times almost gave up and rolled back to the inn I’d started in the valley because it looked like I’d never reach the next village with an inn. That second battery also drained quickly; the first was now about three-quarters charged again, and the power station was dead, so I swapped batteries again—the last power I had. At the spots where I rested and/or swapped batteries, I was able to enjoy the flowers and sometimes small waterfalls. There were plenty of them. I struggled on after each break. I also rolled backwards for most of the day. The only advantage is that I get a nice view. But because of the effort it took to roll, I couldn’t really enjoy it. I took a few more photos, so if you see the view in today’s photos, you know I’m riding backwards… there were some significant sections of around 15%, with an average of 9%. Much steeper than the Somport Pass in the Pyrenees. I still had another 1.5 km to go when a group of German cyclists passed by. They kept going, but not much later the man came walking back and helped me cross this last stretch. Without his help pushing, I would never have made it. At the top, he even gave me some delicious orange juice. And we talked briefly about my journey. They, too, are on their way to Santiago. Then I asked for a bed at the inn. Luckily, there was still room. That’s necessary because I’m really out of energy. I’m in a lot of pain too; my arms have been working too hard. So, I’ll just take some extra painkillers after this day.
Just did a radio and TV interview for Omroep West. It was fun. I’d done radio before, but it was my first time on TV. So I’m another experience richer. I’ve added the links to the episodes to all the media reports.
I’ll have some easy food in a bit: a piece of bread, cheese (I just found my piece of goat cheese in my bag, somewhere I can’t remember putting it; it had been missing for two days. Luckily, it was vacuum-packed, so it was still perfectly fine!) and some fruit. And then a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, another 2.5 km climb and I’ll be at the top.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 24, La Laguna – Triacastela
april 26, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
The day started with finishing yesterday’s climb. 2.5 kilometers uphill. Most of it was still quite manageable and mostly rolling forward, but a few sections, just before the summit, were so tough that I could barely make it up. The road surface was extremely worn asphalt with holes and loose stones didn’t help either. This time, a Korean man came to help, and later his friends did too. Very helpful. And that’s how I made it up this section too!
I found O Cebreiro to be a very beautiful town, with its unique round houses. Unfortunately, the church wasn’t open. Unfortunately, there was no view because the mountain was in the middle of a cloud, so it was foggy and damp. I briefly spoke with a man in a shop about my trip, and he took a picture. He gave me a pin with a Dutch flag and a flag with a scallop shell on it. I pinned it to the strap of my bag. I also got a stamp.
After O Cebreiro, the first stretch was a mix of descending and climbing, but it was all manageable. After the last climb, a long descent began. It was cold on the mountain. The first part of the ride was just as cold, but then I had to work hard on the climb. Because descending requires much less physical strength and I also caught more wind due to the speed, I got very cold. So I unpacked my winter coat (which was tied in front). But despite that, I still felt cold. Even when I’m very tired, I always get cold, so that doesn’t help. The descent went well. Further down the valley, there was a blue sky with clouds again. Although it remained chilly.
Unfortunately, I got another flat tire just before arriving in Triacastela, where I’m now staying in a hostel. Another puncture from a punctured spoke… I’ve taped it again, and hopefully, it won’t puncture again. This wheel continues to cause problems, despite everything. It rattles, as it did before I left, but it’s slowly getting worse. Hopefully it holds up a bit longer. Luckily, I still have extra inner tubes (three left), and I should hopefully be able to make it to Santiago with those.
Battery-wise, it was interesting today. Just after O Cebreiro, my first battery was flat, so I charged it along the way using my power station. On the second battery, two of the five lights had already gone out just before the descent. But halfway down, I got a message that the battery was overcharging. So I re-inserted the first battery, which was now also about 2/3 charged, and now at the hostel, it’s almost full too. So I only need to charge my power station, and the rest have already made it to the slope.
I first went to a hostel in Triacastela, which was full because they were expecting a large group, but the hostel manager pointed me to another one, a better one for me. So far, I have my own room here (four empty beds), on the ground floor, and my wheelchair can be placed right next to my bed. Just had a long shower, as there’s an adapted bathroom/toilet here. It’s nice to be able to shower sitting down, as although standing is possible if necessary, sitting down is much more comfortable.
Now I’m lying comfortably in bed. I’m very tired. Yesterday, someone asked me if it wasn’t time for a rest day, but I never do that. It throws me off my rhythm, and the next day is extra tough. A shorter or lighter day every now and then is better for my body. I don’t expect a particularly tough day tomorrow either, as I’ll be mostly rolling downhill then too. I’m really looking forward to that. And a good night’s sleep.
Rolstoelpelgrim
Pilgrimage day 25, Triacastela – Sarria
april 27, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
I fell asleep early last night, but around 9 PM someone from the hostel came to close the shutters on the windows. After that, I was awake for another hour or so, but luckily I slept through the night. I woke up around 6:15 AM, just before my alarm. So I had a good, long night. I really needed that sleep. No one else had come into my dorm, so it was a nice, quiet night.
This morning, after packing, I set off again. It was a day of short climbs and many descents. A beautiful, varied ride through an area of forests, meadows with cows, and beautiful rocks with waterfalls. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until about 5km before Sarria, when my left tire suddenly went flat… a puncture… for the first time on the left, as it had always been on the right. Luckily, I had a tire within reach, so it was replaced fairly quickly.
I quickly moved on, however, as this had delayed my schedule. I wanted to be at the church in Sarria by noon. The rest of the ride went well, although the final climb to the church was quite steep. But I made it. The church service had already begun. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get in with my wheelchair. Many pilgrims were waiting outside because they couldn’t get a stamp until after the service, and apparently, they preferred to wait outside rather than attend. This was an advantage for me, as the large number of pilgrims allowed me to park my wheelchair outside. By now, I’m a bit of a well-known pilgrim on the route (I often hear people say I’m on my way) and was hoping those waiting pilgrims would look after my wheelchair while I was in church. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but everything went well.
After church (and getting my pilgrim passport stamped), I spoke with a few pilgrims. One gave me grapes. Very helpful, as I’m out of fruit and the shops are closed (and I didn’t see any open shops yesterday either). Afterward, I went to an inn. On the way there, my battery beeped to indicate it was low, but it lasted until I reached my destination. This inn is behind a tourist shop full of pilgrim trinkets (lots of souvenirs with images of shells and arrows, but also beautiful wood carvings of, among others, St. James).
It’s still relatively quiet; at most, a quarter of the beds are occupied. I also meet some familiar pilgrims, two Argentinian cyclists whom I often meet on the road and in hostels. I have a ground-floor room where my wheelchair can be placed at the foot of my bed, and I saw an accessible toilet, but no seat in the shower, but that’s not a big problem. Everything is just a few meters from my bed, so that’s nice. The past few days have been (too) demanding of my body, and these kinds of things are especially welcome when I have to walk less. There’s also a garden behind the hostel. I’ve hung my laundry there in the sunshine. Hopefully, it will dry soon.
From now on, I have to get at least two stamps every day. Although it’s still just over 100km to Santiago, this city is considered the last 100km point, which is considered the minimum distance. Many people only start at this point. So, it’s going to be even busier from now on.
Now I’m resting in bed; I’ll try to sleep early tonight. Tomorrow is another day.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 26, Sarria – Portomarin
april 29, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Last night (Sunday night, as I’m finally posting this Tuesday morning) I went to bed a bit later than expected, but for a good reason. The Argentinian cyclists invited me to dinner. They had cooked a rice meal. Delicious and cozy. Around 10 p.m., I was finally in bed and fell asleep quickly. This hostel actually reminded me a bit of a hospital; in the dormitory, there was a hospital privacy curtain between each bunk. It was nice to be somewhat shielded like that.
This morning I did a lot of grocery shopping. I was out of all the things I usually try to stock up on: granola bars, cheese, bread, fruit, and dark chocolate (it melts less quickly and provides quick energy after a climb). The landscape was beautiful, very diverse. Forest, but also areas with meadows and cows. Just before arriving, I saw a large body of water. At first, I thought it was a lake, but later I realized it was a very wide river. There was a fair amount of climbing, but also some descending. The climbs weren’t too difficult, thankfully, although they averaged around 5%. The last slope towards the city was the toughest, but even that was manageable. I also encountered some Argentinian cyclists along the way.
Luckily, no flat tires or other problems today, although I don’t trust my left wheel; it rattles and is unstable. I just hope it makes it through the 100km to Santiago. When I passed a restaurant halfway along the route, I got my stamp there; I just got the second stamp here at the hostel in Portomarin. I also have an adapted private room with a private shower/toilet for the regular dormitory price. Those are the advantages of a wheelchair, after all.
I’m writing this blog post Monday around 3:00 PM, but I have no idea when I’ll be able to send it. There’s a massive power outage in Spain, Portugal, and the South of France. I had internet access at first, and I found Dutch information about the outage there. I could also make phone calls, but while I’m writing this, that’s down too. The radio is on here, so Spanish speakers are staying informed about the outage. It’s handy that I have a power station with me, because I can at least charge everything (mobile, camera, and tablet), although I don’t have enough power to charge my wheelchair, but that will come after the outage. It’s also quite pleasant in the hostel; even though I’m lying tired in bed, I can hear a lot of cheerfulness and chatter outside my room (with the local radio in the background). If no one has electronics anymore, no internet, and can’t call home, that also gives me plenty to talk about.
10:00 PM, I suddenly have mobile internet again. I was already asleep but woke up to messages (I deliberately turned on the sound), but everything here is still dark, no power. And as quickly as the internet came on, it went away again. Normally, it’s quiet in the hostel at 10:00 PM, but now it’s still kind of restless. It’s also strange when I look out my bedroom window; everything is dark. I only see a bicycle light on outside, but no lights on the street at all, houses dark.
2:00 AM, the internet came back on. But no power. 6:00 AM, my alarm goes off. Still no power. I’ll be staying here today because my wheelchair batteries aren’t charged, and even if the power comes back on, it will take another 5 hours for everything to charge. The internet is working very minimally. It takes at least 5 minutes for me to load a website.
9:20 AM, the power is back on! The internet is still problematic and very slow. Calling isn’t working perfectly either. But there’s progress. My wheelchair battery is now connected, so I’m ready to leave tomorrow. I just spoke with someone from the hostel and thankfully, I’m allowed to stay an extra night.
I’ll let you know tonight how things went today. Assuming everything continues to work, that is.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pilgrimage day 27, Portomarin, power outage over.
april 29, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Just a quick blog post today. Although I didn’t do much today.
This morning, after the power was back on, I connected all my things and charged them. By noon, the internet was working normally again. I did some reading; luckily I had a few e-books with me, and looked at the route for the coming days. I also got two hours of sleep this afternoon.
This evening I drove a short loop through Portomarin, looked at the two churches, and attended mass. I received a stamp after the service, so even though I didn’t cycle more than 1 km, I still got two stamps today (one at the hostel when I registered for the second night and one at the church). I spoke to several people in and around the church. Some pilgrims I’d spoken to before and some new ones. Among them was a couple from Ireland and an Italian father with a son in a wheelchair who is currently traveling alone but would also like to do this journey with his son. He asked me which route to take and if the hostels were accessible. So I talked to him for a while about my experiences.
There are a huge number of new pilgrims now. When the hostel opened at 1 p.m., there was a huge line out the door. A week or so ago, I often felt like I knew most of the people on the pilgrimage by sight, but now so many new people have joined that this is no longer the case.
I’m back at the inn now, going to get a good night’s sleep. I’ll be on the road again tomorrow; that’s better than a mandatory rest day.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pelgrimstocht dag 28, Portomarin -Palas de Rei
april 30, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
After a good night’s sleep, I set off again. I spent a large part of the day climbing, especially in the first half of the day. Fortunately, it wasn’t too difficult, with an average gradient of 4%, which is manageable. I only rolled backwards for a short distance, maybe 10 or 20 metres, so that was fine. The second half was more downhill, with the occasional small climb.
Most of the time I rolled alongside the walking pilgrims, which was very busy. I regularly had conversations about my trip. There were many different types of people in the large group. First of all, there were people of all nationalities; I spoke to people from Ireland, Taiwan, Dubai, America, Germany and the Netherlands, among others. There were also people of all ages, individual pilgrims and large groups of teenagers. Pilgrims who had come from far away and pilgrims who were now walking for the second day, people who carried everything themselves and people with pouch bags and daypacks. Because of all the hustle and bustle, I find it difficult to still feel like a pilgrim as I walk in procession with the rest to the next place to sleep.
I enjoy talking to people and telling them about my journey, but that is also my pitfall, causing me to talk too much and find little rest. I miss the silence and tranquillity, the time to sing and pray, time to organise my thoughts, listen to the silence, the wind and the birds. When I stop for a moment to take a photo of a flower, for example, people immediately ask if everything is alright. They mean well, but I have already cycled more than 3,000 km on my own and sometimes I just want to stop for a moment in peace, look around and take a photo.
Today, my route was well marked with cycle route signs. Handy. Although I do check that it matches my booklet.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Got lots of stamps today, including one from a Dutch woman who stayed here after her pilgrimage with horses. Also got stamps at two churches. I saw lots of typical Galician granaries, called hórreos. There were also lots of meadows with cows and some woods.
When I arrived at the hostel, there was a sign saying “Full”. I rolled inside anyway to ask if there was any room. It turned out they did indeed have one room available: the disabled room. Perfect.
At first I was alone, but later a roommate arrived. It turned out that something had gone wrong, resulting in one more pilgrim than there were beds in the dormitory. Now I’m sharing a room with a Korean/American woman. It’s very cosy, which is nice.
I’ll be going to bed early because I’m really tired. Tomorrow I’ll continue on my way.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Pelgrimstocht dag 29, Palas de Rei – Arzúa
mei 1, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Last night was enjoyable with my Korean/American roommate. We did go to bed early, though. We left the hostel around 8:00 a.m.
When I had just started my route, I met another (Spanish) roller. I didn’t quite figure out if he was also on his way to Santiago (he had no luggage), but he was also rolling to Melide (I think he said he lived there, but I’m not sure). At first it was nice to see another roller, but I wanted to roll alone again and he rolled faster and waited for me at every corner until I caught up and then he rolled on again. Communication was impossible and although I said I wanted to roll alone, he kept waiting for me. The situation made me nervous. In the end, I decided to eat my breakfast somewhere near a car park along the road, hoping that the roller would continue on his way. I always have breakfast somewhere along the way anyway, and this was a perfect moment. I also spoke to a man from Ireland who had sailed from Ireland to Bilbao, then cycled to Santiago and was now cycling back to Bilbao to take the boat home again. In the end, I didn’t start cycling again until more than half an hour later, by which time the other roller had gone, and I didn’t see it again. After that, I cycled on calmly.My path regularly crossed that of the walking pilgrims, but we didn’t often walk together, which I liked. It was a peaceful journey. Today I didn’t have a clear destination in mind. Well, actually, I had two options and would decide along the way: Melide or Arzúa. I arrived at the first one quite quickly, having already covered 15 km by 11 a.m. I thought it was too early to stop, so I kept going. I did visit the church there, which was open, but unfortunately there was no stamp.
I debated whether to take the longer official route or the slightly shorter but busier route, but in the end I opted for the official route. It was a beautiful route that brought back old memories for me. This route passed through forests full of eucalyptus trees, which reminded me of a trip to Australia when I was 18, a long time ago. They are unusual trees, with slightly grey-green leaves and unusual trunks. I also enjoyed the scent of the forest, both from the eucalyptus trees and the pine trees that are also common here. I saw lots of flowers and birds again.
A few kilometres before I arrived in Arzúa, I spoke to two American cyclists who were cycling in the opposite direction. When I wanted to tell them about my route, I realised that I no longer had my route book, which was annoying, but luckily I was almost there. So I looked it up on my mobile phone and told them about the route and explained more about my trip and wheelchair issues. Then I continued on my way.
A few kilometres later, just outside Arzúa, a car stopped in front of me and a man got out with my notebook! He only spoke Spanish, so I don’t know how he knew it was mine, but it was very special. I’m so glad to have my notebook back!
In Arzúa, I went to the hostel, which turned out to be full. Two other hostels were also full. So I decided to go to a campsite that I had overlooked at first and now suddenly saw on my map. On the way, I asked for a stamp at another (full) hostel because I now have to collect two per day. Cyclists have to cycle 200 km and walking pilgrims have to walk 100 km before Santiago to have their pilgrim’s passport stamped twice a day as proof that they have cycled/walked/rolled this distance so that they can collect a certificate in Santiago. You can get stamps pretty much everywhere here, churches and places to sleep (that’s where I try to get my stamps), but also in tourist shops, restaurants/bars and sometimes from someone sitting on the side of the road (that’s what happened to me yesterday). I got my second stamp of the day at the campsite, so I’m good again. The hardest thing for me is collecting stamps when I’m not on the walking route. It’s nicer in terms of peace and quiet, but there are more stamps to be found on the walking route..
I am sitting in front of my tent with the sun on my back, writing this. It feels lovely and warm on my back, while it is starting to get chilly elsewhere.
I sleep so well in my tent; nowhere else do I sleep as well, so I am looking forward to it.
I expect it will only be two more days before I reach Santiago! I just heard that the Argentine cyclists I wrote about earlier have arrived. Tomorrow and the day after, I’m sure I’ll hear from more people. But my journey won’t be over in two days. After some hesitation, I have decided not to continue on to Finisterre. There are several reasons for this. One reason is that my wheelchair is no longer very reliable; my right wheel wobbles and makes strange noises, and it’s not getting any better. Another reason is that I heard from other wheelchair pilgrims that the last part to the sea is impossible in a wheelchair and was disappointing for them, and also because the return journey from there is a lot more difficult. I am travelling back via England and if my wheelchair continues to work, I hope to make a short pilgrimage there. But more about that later. First to Santiago!
Groetjes,
Rolstoelpelgrim
Pelgrimstocht dag 30, Arzúa – “San Marcos”
mei 2, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
We left a little later this morning because of rain, but when it stopped we were able to leave after all. Although it was already after 10 a.m. By the way, I spoke to a Dutch man at the campsite and it turns out I know his son from Archeon, so it’s a small world after all.
The first few kilometres were very busy because there is a section of motorway missing here. It is under construction, but part of it is not finished, so everyone is taking the smaller road. As soon as the traffic was able to get back on the motorway, it became quiet again.
It was a beautiful and peaceful ride past many eucalyptus trees. Occasionally, I saw other pilgrims and they crossed my path, but most of the time they walked at a greater distance and I didn’t see them or saw them somewhere in the distance. In the places where we walked together, I did get a stamp. There was also someone (out of my reach) with bagpipes who, in addition to playing, was stamping pilgrim passports. It sounded cosy.
When I arrived at the campsite, it turned out to be different than expected. It wasn’t a regular campsite but a place with furnished tents for pilgrims, all full and reserved. So I decided to continue to the next campsite, 11 kilometres away, as I still had the courage to do so. Unfortunately, it started to rain heavily, with real downpours and thunderstorms. But turning back was not an option either, as I was already between two places. So I just kept going. Fortunately, the rain eventually eased off and I rolled on until my wheelchair suddenly stopped working… just before Santiago airport. My left wheel (the wheel I’ve had few problems with) made loud and strange squeaking noises and stopped working… And so everything turned out differently than expected and hoped for.
It really didn’t want to ride anymore. An Asian family on bicycles pushed me to a safer part of the road and stopped a pizza delivery car. They called a modified taxi for me. If you are reading this, thank you again!
By then, the sun was even shining, which made the wait less tedious. After half an hour, the taxi picked me up (the front wheel had to be removed, but it eventually fit) and took me to the campsite. My tent is set up, but it’s raining heavily again. So I’m currently sitting in a large room with sinks and a big table with chairs. My wheelchair is here too.
I hope that the reason for this major malfunction is the rain, that it was too wet and that if I let my wheels dry properly now, it will work again tomorrow. But we’ll have to wait and see. In any case, it’s dry here now and my batteries are charging. I won’t know until tomorrow whether it will work again. Only then can I decide what to do. It would be annoying if I were to get stranded here, 8 km from the finish line.
Fortunately, I have travel insurance, because if it remains broken, I’m not sure how I’m going to solve this. I’ll keep you posted.
Groetjes,
Rolstoelpelgrim
Ps. It’s now the next morning. Unfortunately… my wheelchair is too damaged to continue. I’ve just called my travel insurance and they’re going to repatriate me…
I’ll keep you posted.
Einde pelgrimstocht, camping San Marcos.
mei 3, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Unfortunately, my wheelchair wasn’t working this morning, perhaps even more badly than yesterday. So I called my travel insurance company. They are now arranging for my repatriation. I don’t know how or when yet. Fortunately, I can stay here at the campsite. I will keep you informed. So I am definitely stranded, just before Santiago.
I spoke to a lot of people, discussed ideas and possible solutions, but in the end, the best option is to go home and finish my pilgrimage here later. I don’t see myself going to Santiago in any other way, e.g. in a push wheelchair or taxi. I want to see the cathedral for the first time when I roll into the city myself, just as I have rolled the thousands of kilometres before. So for now, my journey is over. I am very tired now, having had to arrange and think about so many things. Physically, it is also challenging here at the campsite. The toilet is far away for me (I estimate 50 metres), so when I hobble there, I try to do other things at the same time, such as filling my water bottle, charging my power bank, etc. But fortunately, I am managing.
There is a Dutch man at the campsite whose wife arrived in Santiago today. He did some shopping for me today, so I now have enough to eat for today and tomorrow (and maybe the day after tomorrow), which is very nice and one less thing to worry about.
Here at the campsite, there is a group of Spanish children/toddlers who always want to chat with me, but I can’t understand them. This afternoon, I made balloon figures for them!
I also just spoke with a French motorcyclist who is riding his off-road motorbike through Spain on unpaved roads. It’s impressive to see those photos.
Today was mostly sunny. I was able to dry all my wet clothes from yesterday (despite my rain gear, I was wet down to my underwear yesterday). But now there is heavy rain and thunder again (fortunately not very close, at least 6 seconds between lightning and thunder). I am glad I have a good tent and am sitting here dry. But hopefully the thunderstorm will pass quickly.
I just called the insurance company again and heard that someone will be working on my return journey tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon, I will call the insurance company again to find out how things are going.
Thank you for all the kind and encouraging messages I received last night and today. That means a lot to me. Because although I’m trying to make the best of it, this is still a big disappointment. But I’ll come back here and finish it.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Camping San Marcos, Waiting.
may 4, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
I slept in a bit this morning, waking up at 8:30. I stumbled to the toilet block and when I came back, the Korean/American woman I recently shared a room with was walking into the campsite. We’ve kept in touch, so she knew I was here and I knew she would be coming by today. We chatted for a while and she treated me to some snacks, which was nice!
Didn’t do much else today. I did contact my travel insurance company, but because my case is rather unusual, they have to discuss the options with their office. However, because of 4 and 5 May (for my foreign readers, these are Remembrance Day and Liberation Day, public holidays in the Netherlands), the office is now closed. I will receive another phone call on Tuesday, or I can call them myself in the afternoon.
At the end of the afternoon, my sister sent me some tasty treats via a delivery service. These are the nice things I really need right now to cheer me up, because today was quite a tough day. Especially in the morning when I went to pay for the campsite again and I was standing in the bar/reception area of the campsite among all the pilgrims and saw all the pilgrims walking past the campsite. I even saw a familiar German woman in the distance whom I had spoken to several times along the way. Seeing all those pilgrims in a jubilant mood because they are almost there was confronting and it made it even more painful that I am stuck here now.
Now I just have to be patient. I’ll be here until Wednesday at least (if I hear anything on Tuesday, I definitely won’t be leaving before Wednesday and may even stay here longer).
I’m finding it physically demanding too. The toilet is actually a bit too far away, but there’s nowhere closer (there’s an asphalt square/car park between me and the toilet).
In between, I lie down a lot and entertain myself with the internet and YouTube videos. I didn’t go to church this morning, but I was able to watch my church in the Netherlands on television, which is better than nothing and nice to see familiar faces.
There is also a small black and white bird (a white wagtail?) that occasionally sits nearby for a while, allowing me to take photos at my leisure.
Other than that, I don’t have much news. Except that I am grateful for all the kind and sympathetic messages I have received through various channels (including below, email, WhatsApp and various social media).
I will try to continue writing a blog every day to keep you informed of developments.
Wheelchairpilgrim
More camping
may 5, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
I slept in late this morning, and now I can feel how tired I am. I didn’t wake up until a quarter to ten. Fortunately, I feel better today than I did yesterday.
When I woke up, I sat in front of my tent for a while and spoke to a woman and her husband from England who were about to leave. I told her my story and she asked if she could do anything for me. I asked if she could go to reception for me and pay for my camping fee for two days (until Wednesday) so that I wouldn’t have to walk such a long distance. Actually, that distance is much too far. I can manage it (with at least five breaks in between), but it takes me about half a day’s energy. When I wanted to get some money to give her for the payment, she said they wanted to pay for me. So sweet!
After she did that, she also gave me two mandarins, two tomatoes and some tasty crackers so that I would have something to eat when my bread runs out tomorrow (although I have since found out how to have groceries delivered online here). So that was another nice encounter and a positive start to the day.
Other than that, I took it easy, watched television, read, called family, took lots of photos of that same bird (I hear lots of different birds here, but I only ever see one) and I spent some time photographing the insects in my awning.
I also made a tasty lunch with, among other things, the tomato I had received this morning. So I got through the day quite nicely.
I’ll be going to bed early again tonight, trying to get plenty of rest so that I’ll be able to make the return journey. I expect to receive more information from the insurance company tomorrow afternoon. I’ll keep you posted.
Groetjes,
Wheelchairpilgrim
Day 4 camping San Marcos
mei 6, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Although I don’t have much news yet, I’m going to try to write another blog post. Even though I don’t have any concrete news about my departure yet, I’ve been busy today, mainly making lots of phone calls, sending emails and making arrangements. I haven’t heard back from the insurance company yet, but I have spoken to them twice. We mainly discussed what the options are. Among other things, I am now requesting a quote from a bicycle transporter for the insurance company, as I now know that they can take my wheelchair to the Netherlands. It may be possible to transport my wheelchair and some of my luggage (batteries, tent) to the Netherlands this way, and then I can fly back myself. But nothing is certain yet. Hopefully, there will be more clarity about this tomorrow (or the day after…).
I also did the laundry today. It is sunny here now and windy, so everything is already dry. Despite the sun, it is not warm, so I wore my winter coat all day. It is also quite cold at night, but luckily I can keep myself warm with my sleeping bag and a hot water bottle (a metal drinking bottle filled with hot water and wrapped in a sock).
I also took some photos of flowers in the grass. And in between, I watched some television/films.
I also had groceries delivered this morning. I was out of bread, so it’s nice to have fresh bread and other things again. It was delivered right to my tent, so that works well. Good to know if I’m stuck here any longer. Because I have no idea how long it will take. But this way, I can manage quite well here.
I’ll keep you posted.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Day 5 camping San Marcos
mei 7, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
I’ve been here for five days now, but today I received the good news that the insurance company will arrange and pay for my return journey! Tomorrow they will contact the bicycle transport company to arrange this (I have already spoken to them on the phone, but they want it to be arranged through the insurance company for certainty about the costs).
I hope that tomorrow I will also receive notification of when my wheelchair will be collected by them (the bicycle transport company indicated that this may be over the weekend), because as soon as we know this, the flight ticket can be booked for hopefully the same day. I would also like to send my tent with the bicycle transport, so it is difficult to continue camping any longer.
Speaking of camping, when I wanted to pay, the person who always takes care of the payments told me that I don’t have to pay for the next few days because she understands that I’m not well off. So sweet. So many people are helping me through this situation.
Other than that, I took it easy. I found a beautiful lemon tree at the campsite that is laden with lemons and has wonderfully fragrant blossoms. At home, I also have a few citrus trees in my greenhouse and on my windowsill, but we don’t have such large lemon trees outside in the Netherlands. It can be quite cold here, but apparently warm enough for these trees.
I also took a look at the sheep next to the campsite. Other than that, I mostly lay around, rested, watched TV on my tablet about the cardinals starting the conclave (I’m quite curious to see who the next pope will be; black smoke tonight, so no new pope yet) and in between watched a film that I couldn’t really concentrate on.
I also made balloons for two children. I do this for them almost every day, so every day they stand in front of my tent to ask for balloons.
Other than that, the weather is fine today, not very warm but blue skies, sunny and dry.
Overall, it was a pretty good day. Although I can’t do much here, I’m managing to get through my days reasonably well.
And it’s a relief to know that although I’ll be here for a few more days, it looks like I’ll be able to go home in a few days.
I’ll keep you posted.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Dag 6 op de camping
mei 8, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Today was a quiet day. I haven’t heard a date yet, but I did have brief contact with the insurance company by email. They contacted the transport company today, but still no date. Probably the weekend. This afternoon, the campsite manager came to my tent with a delicious lunch: bread with warm meat and melted cheese, two apples, an orange and a bottle of iced tea. And while I’m writing, he also came to bring me my dinner, two toasted sandwiches! So sweet! I’ve been stranded here for six days now, and they’re taking such good care of me. Very special!!!
Other than that, I didn’t do much today, just sat in the sun for a while. I took some photos of aeroplanes (fighter jets to be precise, I hear them a lot here but they’re hard to spot in the sky because the sound and image don’t match) and watched a lot of YouTube videos about the Pope today, just white smoke. The American Pope Leo XIV has been elected.
Other than that, I don’t have much news. I’ll write something again tomorrow, hopefully I’ll know more by then.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Day 7, camping San Marcos
mei 9, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
It’s been a week since I arrived at this campsite. This morning I woke up early, went to the toilet and did a small load of laundry. When that was hanging on the washing line, I crawled back into bed.
Around 10 o’clock, the campsite owner called out, but luckily I was already awake. He had brought me some toasted sandwiches for breakfast. So sweet of him. Didn’t do much else today. It was chilly outside, so I spent most of the day in my tent. I did take some photos around my tent, but not for very long. Because around 3.30 p.m. it started to rain.
Fortunately, my laundry from this morning was already dry and inside. This afternoon and evening, I contacted the insurance company (calling was a challenge because it was raining heavily, which made a lot of noise in the tent). Unfortunately, I haven’t received a clear agreement from the transport company yet. Although it is expected on Sunday. Hopefully, I will be able to fly on Sunday afternoon/evening. I hope to receive confirmation of this tomorrow. I just received bananas and biscuits from the campsite manager!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Day 8, camping San Marcos
mei 10, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
I’ll start my story today with last night. I went to bed fairly early but was still watching a film at around 10 p.m. It was busy outside my tent; I think there was a party at the campsite owner’s place, with lots of cars outside and regular chatter. Suddenly, I heard the campsite owner say hello. He was standing in front of my tent with a large plate of chips and chicken legs. What an enormous meal. Even though I had already eaten quite a lot during the day (as I wrote in my previous blog, he had already taken good care of me with food), I decided to do my best and it tasted good. Then he brought me another tray of chicken and I got some bread. It was far too much to eat, but I couldn’t refuse. It was very kind, but it was much more than my stomach could handle. I always eat very little, especially meat. I normally eat very little meat. In the end, I ate what I could and left the rest.
In the morning, I got two more toasted sandwiches, and he offered me more chicken, but I declined. It was really too much. But I’m not here to go hungry!
Other than that, I didn’t do much today. It rained almost all day. I took some more photos, but I’m running out of subjects.
I also sorted out some things to take with the bicycle transport company, deciding what I really need and what I can do without for a night’s stay here and what I need on the road or at home (it may take a while for the transport company to deliver my wheelchair to my home). My wheelchair is expected to be picked up tomorrow (unfortunately, the bicycle transport company is being somewhat vague about the appointment, but it will probably be tomorrow afternoon) and then I hope to fly home on Monday.
As soon as my wheelchair has been collected, I can call the insurance company and they will book my flight and transport (taxi) from the campsite to the airport and from Schiphol to home. So tomorrow in the blog I can finally say for sure when I will be coming to the Netherlands. I’m looking forward to it!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Day 9, camping San Marcos
may 11, 2025 byrolstoelpelgrim
This morning, I received a message via WhatsApp from the bicycle transport company saying that they would arrive around 4 p.m. And my wheelchair was indeed picked up at the end of the afternoon.
It rained all morning, but luckily it dried up in the afternoon, and I even managed to get some laundry done. I also had a visit from one of my followers this afternoon. We had never met before, but it was very pleasant. She was there when my wheelchair was loaded.
Furthermore, some Dutch people at the campsite invited me over for tea and then dinner. So we had a nice chat and talked about our travels. Unfortunately, I don’t have a flight date yet. When I called the insurance company after transporting my wheelchair, it turned out that I couldn’t book because it’s Sunday… Always a hassle at the weekend… They will call me early tomorrow morning, and then we will actually book the trip. Maybe for tomorrow afternoon, but I’m also prepared for it to be the day after tomorrow. So, we’ll just have to wait and see…
I’ll keep you posted.,
Wheelchairpilgrim
Return to Home!
mei 12, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Just a quick blog post. This morning, I called the insurance company and booked a return flight. I’m flying from Porto at 8:55 p.m. Portuguese time. This afternoon, I took a taxi (a journey of over two hours) from the campsite to the airport in Porto.
I just checked in my luggage and went through passport control. I was allowed to roll around here for another 45 minutes, visiting the shops in this borrowed folding chair (luckily, I can just about manage to roll myself on smooth floors, but it reminds me why I need a motorbike) to get something to eat and entertain myself. Now I’m sitting here in the waiting area in front of the gate.
I’m flying at 8:55 p.m. (Portuguese time). I’ll arrive just after midnight. A taxi home has been arranged from there.
Tomorrow I’ll write another blog to let you know how the flight went.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Home!
mei 13, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Last night, I had a pleasant journey by plane. It was a quiet flight. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sitting by the window, but I could look outside through my neighbour’s window. I was sitting on the left side of the plane and, because it was evening, I had a beautiful view of the sunset. The setting sun above the clouds was incredibly beautiful!
Upon arrival at Schiphol, the escort was already waiting with a wheelchair. It had been agreed with the taxi that I would be taken to arrival 4. Unfortunately, the escort was less familiar with Schiphol than I was (they worked through the employment agency, where they discussed this) and they couldn’t find the right place…
They first took me to departure 4, and I said that this was not the right place, that it had to be arrival. They then called the taxi driver, who said that arrival 4 was near the AH to Go. Then I was pushed to the AH to go at arrival 1… Even though I said that arrival 4 was on the signs and there was also an AH there, they didn’t listen. Eventually, they called the driver again and, after insisting once more, they finally pushed me in the right direction. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end. But it was an unnecessary detour.
The driver loaded my luggage and then I was quickly taken home. I got home around 2 a.m. and I think I fell asleep around 3 a.m. Now I’m glad to be home and that this long wait is over.
My wheelchair will probably arrive at home at the end of this week, so hopefully it will be repaired quickly. Fortunately, I still have an old wheelchair at home that I can use for short distances. For now, I’m going to rest first, so unfortunately there will be no more daily blogs. Soon I will write another blog with all the statistics (including costs and distances) and a review of this trip. And hopefully I will be able to tell you more about the sequel, because I’m not giving up and hope to finish this trip before the end of the year. I really want to arrive in Santiago!
I will keep you informed. If you haven’t already done so, you can subscribe to my newsletter on the homepage. You will then receive a message as soon as I post something new. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
I would also like to thank you all very much. All the lovely messages I have received recently have really helped me through this difficult situation. I felt enormously supported!
See you soon!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Looking Back
May 27, 2025 By rolstoelpelgrim
Here is a look back at my journey, and at the end there is also a competition! Furthermore, there is a lot about all the highs and lows of my pilgrimage.
I have been home for almost two weeks now. I can feel all the fatigue coming out. I have been sleeping long nights and taking afternoon naps in between. For the time being, I will try to take it easy and take time to recover. I often only realise how overworked I am when I take a break, and that recovery takes time.
It was a journey of high peaks and deep valleys, literally (highest point, 1339 metres, lowest point about 250 metres) and figuratively (wonderful encounters and beautiful nature, but also many problems, especially technical ones). Although the end of my journey turned out differently than I had ever expected, and I had many technical problems along the way (broken gear shift on the second day, then about six flat tyres, loose and broken spokes, a right wheel that constantly rattled and creaked, and finally a left wheel with a broken gear in the motor, which brought the journey to an end), my journey was also very good and special. I cycled through beautiful nature, totally different from our Dutch landscape. I saw many unusual birds and plants, enjoyed snow-capped mountains and also had many wonderful encounters. Both with pilgrims along the way and with innkeepers and local people.
I also found Holy Week, Easter and all the processions very impressive to experience. So different from Easter in the Netherlands. Along the way, I also visited many beautiful churches and monasteries and saw some amazing castles.
It is remarkable how often I met the right people at exactly the right moments to help me. Last year, a story about my earlier adventures was published in a book by Dutch singer/writer Elly Zuiderveld about encounters with angels, and this year I actually met a few more! I can’t mention everyone here (read the blog again, I’ve described most of it there), but I would like to briefly highlight a few. Among them was a woman I met in the church of Navarrete on the second day, when the switch on my wheelchair broke down. She gave me food, invited me to her home and picked me up at the campsite to go to church. The Dutch wheelchair mechanic who arranged for this part to be sent to Spain so that I could continue my journey. The German cyclist who, on a very steep climb, when my batteries were almost empty and my own energy was also failing, pushed me up to an inn and gave me a nice glass of juice to drink. The Korean group of cyclists who also gave me a push the next day when I couldn’t make it up the last part of the climb. An Asian family on bicycles who stopped when my wheelchair broke down, took me to a safe place and arranged a taxi. And also the campsite owner who took such good care of me after I was stranded there, including providing meals. Furthermore, all the people at the campsite who helped me, did my shopping, gave me food and drink, or just stopped for a chat, which made the time pass more quickly.
In terms of weather, I experienced just about everything. Warm and sunny, but also snow, hail, rain, fog and thunderstorms. Temperatures ranging from around freezing to very warm days. Fortunately, I was prepared for all types of weather. Only the snow was very cold with bare feet (since my back surgery two years ago, which left me with nerve damage, I can’t tolerate anything on my feet, except for a short time, and since then I’ve been going through life barefoot), but by dressing well, I managed.
In the meantime, I have also added up the annual costs and distances and made a list of the route/daily stages and costs:
Dag 1, huis – Schiphol – Brussel- Parijs- Hendaye – Irun, Trainticket150 euro, hotel 50 euro
Dag 2, Irun – Bilbao – Logroño hostel, 10 euro, trein 26 euro
Pilgrimage day 1 Logroño – Navarrete 19,61km, Hostel 10 euro
Pilgrimage day 2 Navarrete-Navarrete 3,87km, camping 14 euro
Pilgrimage day 3 Navarrete – Nájera 26,93km, hostel 6 euro
Pilgrimage day 4 Nájera- Santo Domingo de la Calzada 20,23km, hostel 13euro
Pilgrimage day 5 Santo Domingo de la Calzada- Belorado 30,74km hostel 8 euro, groceries 4,50
Pilgrimage day 6 Belorado- Villafranca montes de Oca 11,95km, 15 Euro
Pilgrimage day 7 Villafranca montes de Oca – Santovenia 16,8km, hostel15 euro
Pilgrimage day 8 Santovenia – Burgos 35,88km, camping 12 euro grocries 11 euro
Pilgrimage day 9 Burgos – Cavia 29,12km, camping 11 euro,
Pilgrimage day 10 Cavia- Castrojeriz 30,92km, hostel10 euro
Pilgrimage day 11 Castrojeriz – Frómista 31,55km hostel15 euro
Pilgrimage day 12 Frómista – Carrión de los Condes 20,86km hostel8 euro
Pilgrimage day 13 Carrión de los Condes – Sagagún 43,22km hostel 8 euro
Pilgrimage day 14 Sagagún – El Burgo Ranero 18,04km hostel donativo I forgot to pay…. Sorry
Pilgrimage day 15 El Burgo Ranero- Mansilla de las Mulas 21,21km hostel13,50
Pilgrimage day 16 Mansilla de las Mulas – Leon 19,42km hostel 7 euro boodschappen 2 euro
Pilgrimage day 17 Leon – Hospital de Órbigo 38,6km hostel12 euro
Pilgrimage day 18 Hospital de Órbigo – Murias de Rechivaldo 25,02km hostel 10 euro
Pilgrimage day 19 Murias de Rechivaldo- Rabanal del Camino 16,05 km hostel 5 euro
Pilgrimage day 20 Rabanal del camino – Acebo de San Miguel 18,19km hostel 7 euro
Pilgrimage day 21 Acebo de San Miguel – Cacabelos 33,35km hostel 13 euro
Pilgrimage day 22 Cacabelos- Las Herrerias 29,58km hostel 10 euro, boodschappen 3,30
Pilgrimage day 23 Las Herrerias – La Laguna 8,45km hostel 15 euro
Pilgrimage day 24 La Laguna – Triacastela 25,91km hostel 12,50
Pilgrimage day 25 Triacastela- Sarria 22,01km hostel 12 euro
Pilgrimage day 26 Sarria- Portomarin 25,45km hostel10 euro
Pilgrimage day 27 Portomarin – Portomarin (major power outage Iberian Peninsula) 2km to kerk, hostel 10 euro, groceries 3,33 euro
Pilgrimage day 28 Portomarin – Palas de Rei 25,15 km hostel 10 euro
Pilgrimage day 29 Palas de Rei – Arzúa 34,94km hostel 10 euro
Pilgrimage day 30 Arzúa – finished with broken wheelchair just before San Marcos 38,83km camping 14 euro
Total 720,01km
San Marcos, on a camping, waiting for repatrietion:
Camping day 1 camping 14 euro
Camping day 2 camping Payed by very friendly English people, thanks! groceries done by a Dutch man 11 euro
Camping day 3 camping also payed by those friendly english people!
Camping day 4 camping owners told me I do not have to pay anymore, thanks!
Camping day 5 groceries, 30 euro
Camping day 6
Camping day 7
Camping day 8
Camping day 9
camping day 10, Repatrietion / way back home by taxi and airplane, Porto – Schiphol – Thuis!
The total distance was 720.01 km until I got stranded. That’s an average of 24 km per day (I included the two days when I couldn’t ride due to a broken gear shift and power failure, otherwise my average would have been higher at 25.71 km). My longest daily distance was 43.22 km and my shortest was 8.45 km, but the shortest had a climb of 543 m and was therefore also the hardest day.
In terms of costs, I am about the same as in previous years. But it was a challenge to keep this low. I prefer to camp, but in Spain that was not really an option. Firstly, there are not many campsites and secondly, the average campsite is also more expensive than the hostels. As a result, I usually ended up in the hostel. I like campsites for several reasons: I enjoy sleeping in a tent with lots of fresh air, and I have the privacy and peace and quiet that I miss in hostels with dormitories. On my 30-day pilgrimage, I paid a total of 316 euros for accommodation, an average of 10.53 per night. In total, including the return journey and waiting time at the campsite, it was an extra 90 euros, making a total of 406 euros. That brings the average to 9.90 euros, mainly because people helped me so much and I didn’t have to pay much at the campsite.
In terms of food, prices in shops were fairly similar to previous years in France. I often bought cheap baguettes (30 to 50 cents in the supermarket, but very expensive in small village shops, sometimes as much as 2.50 euros). The main disadvantage was that there were few real supermarkets along the route and I sometimes had to buy food for several days when I found a shop and sometimes had to make sure I still had enough food. As a result, I often ate bread that was 3 or 4 days old because I didn’t see any shops or they were closed (siesta) when I passed by. On the other hand, there were plenty of bars and restaurants; every hamlet has a bar. But I didn’t make use of them. During my pilgrimage, I only spent about 30 euros on groceries. On average, that’s less than a euro a day, although I must say that several times I was given bread and fruit by people along the way, and a few times a meal (breakfast or dinner) was included in the price of the hostel. And I left home with the necessary non-perishable food such as muesli bars, dried fruit, couscous, mashed potatoes and a piece of cheese. So I was able to eat that too. I’m never very hungry on the road. Most days, I eat about a third of a baguette, some cheese, fruit and sometimes yoghurt. At most, on a tough climb, I’ll have some extra calories in the form of dark chocolate or muesli bars, and the strange thing is that I feel better then than when I eat “normally”. I only drink water (Like I also do at home).
In the evening, when it’s cold, I sometimes want something warm to drink (so I can get into my sleeping bag warm) and for that I have a thermos flask, steel mug and immersion heater with me. Then I make herbal tea (mint grew everywhere and I had a clove of ginger with me) or I make instant chocolate milk, I also had a few sachets of that with me. So I didn’t spend any money on drinks along the way. At the campsite, after I got stranded, I ordered groceries once for about 30 euros and once some Dutch people did my shopping for me for 11 euros. Out of boredom, I was hungrier there and my supplies from home had run out by then.
Because I wasn’t travelling in the late season as I had in previous years, I missed not having fruit on the trees that I could pick. Blossoms are very beautiful to look at, but I still prefer ripe apples, figs, nuts and blackberries, as in previous years. I also bought other things along the way, such as spare tyres and new work gloves. I didn’t keep track of the exact price of these, but it will be a maximum of 50 euros, which I will not include in my calculation.
In total, the trip cost me €527 (accommodation €406, food €71) for 42 days, which averages out at €12.54 per day. If I only count the pilgrimage, the total is €346 (accommodation €316, food €30), which is €11.53 per day. In previous years, I spent around the same amount, and I had set myself a daily budget of €12 to €15 (which is a very low budget for pilgrims; on average, other pilgrims often spend €35 to €50 per day when they say they are on a low budget), so I did well.
And then I have something else fun: a giveaway! Going to the toilet is always difficult for women. That’s why I’ve been using the Liberpee urinal (formerly uixi) for years. It’s ideal! It’s handy in nature, in dirty public toilets, and when I’m wearing dungarees. I wrote a big review about it a few years ago, but it was time for an update. You can read it here. Liberpee has given me a free Liberpee urination device to give away. Read the review page to find out how you can win it!
Despite how it ended, I look back on a wonderful pilgrimage. This trip did result in a special story. I hope to travel to Spain again later this summer, probably in August, to complete my final stage. I will do this during a holiday with my son. We will go by car and take turns driving. It is about 12 km from where I ended up to Santiago, so just one more short day of rolling.
So sign up for the newsletter if you haven’t already done so. You will be notified as soon as I know when I am leaving.
Rolstoelpelgrim
Good news!!!
juli 10, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
Here I am again with a new blog, and this time, fortunately, with good news!!! In addition to this news, there are many other exciting developments, including my plans for completing the final part of my pilgrimage and several other special events scheduled for this month. And, of course, the results of the previous competition. I delayed announcing the results because I wanted to wait for the good news so that I could write about everything in one blog post. And that good news arrived yesterday!
The good news is that my wheelchair wheels have been repaired and I have them back! It took a while (more than two months), but since yesterday afternoon I can roll again. Thanks to Mobility Products (importer/repairer) who made sure I got my wheels back in time for a number of fun and important appointments (more on that later). Medipoint (the municipality’s supplier, which only does basic maintenance and not major repairs like this) was slow to respond, which meant it all took extra long. Fortunately, Mobility Products arranged to deliver my wheels to me themselves, instead of going through Medipoint, which would have meant waiting several more weeks for them to be returned. Thank you!!!
Yesterday afternoon/evening, I went for a long ride, because I had missed that. So I decided to go to church, which is more than 10 km away. On the way there, I took a detour via a beautiful route, and on the way back, I just took the shortest route. Still, I rolled a total of about 23 km. It was wonderful to be out and about again, enjoying nature and the peace and quiet of rolling along. My wheelchair wheels are running better than ever after the repair. From the moment I got them (they weren’t new, they came from storage), they were unstable and wobbly, but now they run much more smoothly and hardly make any rattling noises. Only the soft hum of the motor can be heard. Even the spoke protectors are now more securely attached (with six clips instead of three). Very nice. Hopefully, this will quickly restore my confidence in my wheels, because after so many problems during my pilgrimage, my confidence had taken a bit of a knock.
In church, I received various reactions from people who knew that I had been missing my wheelchair recently. Many people have sympathised with me during this difficult time. Not only people I know personally, but also several followers have sent me messages asking how I am doing. Thank you for all your sympathy!
With my wheelchair, I never really feel disabled, but over the past two months, with a wheelchair with hand-operated wheels that causes me pain and strain after about 200 metres and can barely manage a ramp or slope, I have felt quite disabled and limited.
This caused my body to become overloaded because I had to use too much force when rolling, which resulted in sore shoulders. But my legs were also affected because the sore shoulders meant I was walking more than was good for me. Fortunately, that is now over and I can do what I want again and distribute my energy better. And that’s good because there are some exciting things happening in the coming month.
The first is that on Friday, I will be going on a trial walk with a small group of people for a pilgrimage that we are organising for the church in September. It’s great fun to help plan and contribute ideas. I am also extra happy that my wheelchair is working properly again, so I can join in with the trial walk!
Another exciting thing is that in just over a week, I will be filming with KRO/NCRV for a television programme in which I will be interviewed about my pilgrimage. It will not be broadcast until the end of this year (probably November). As soon as I can say more about it, I will let you know in a blog (sign up for the newsletter on the homepage, and you will be notified when a new blog is online).
And then perhaps the best part: I expect to arrive in Santiago in about a month! Together with my son, I hope to drive to a place just before Santiago (near the campsite where I was stranded) and then I will do the last part of my pilgrimage by car. We will also take a holiday along the way and hope to see and experience more beautiful things. So, two birds with one stone. I expect to leave around 1 August.
And now for the results of the Liberpee urinal giveaway. There were many entries, and the winner is:
Paulien!
Congratulations!!! I will contact you.
I have also added some new information to my website, including my 2025 trip in chronological order, as I did for previous years. You can read about it here.
I am also working on completing the English and French translations of my website, as those pages are seriously behind, but that is a lot of work and is not yet finished. I don’t know if it will be finished before I leave, but if not, it will be in the autumn. My English page has also been available for some time at www.wheelchairpilgrim.com
In the coming period, I will be packing for the holiday/pilgrimage. I am looking forward to it. After 10 years, it is time to conclude this journey and make plans for a new one. Because although this trip is now really coming to an end, I am not done with it yet.
I hope to write another blog just before departure. See you then!
Wheelchairpilgrim
Vertrokken voor laatste etappe!
august 3, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
On 1 August, we (together with my son) set off on my final stage. We will now be cycling to Santiago in about a week.
The last few days before my departure were busy with packing and fun things. Among other things, we did a TV recording for the KRO/NCRV programme “Zin in Morgen”. It was a fun day of filming with Anita Witzier and a camera crew, five people in total. We filmed in Alphen at the Zaans Rietveld, a truly Dutch countryside location. We had a nice chat. It will be exciting to see how it turns out, as it won’t be broadcast until November.
So now we’re back on the road. We’ll be stopping off at a few places along the way, although most of the time will be spent driving. We’ll be stopping occasionally at sunflower fields, churches and other places of interest. This morning we attended mass at La Rochelle Cathedral. We also briefly visited the city and strolled through the market hall, and then drove around the island of Île d’Oléron. On the way, I saw Fort Lovois and the famous Fort Boyard. Later, my son walked to the beach on the island via the soft sand to take photos of Fort Boyard. For me, the sand was too soft to roll and too far to walk. So I sat in the shade of pine trees with a French baguette and my favourite goat’s cheese and had lunch until he came back.
We also saw many aquaculture farms, places where shellfish are cultivated. There were also many places selling mussels and oysters. Nice to see (but I’m not a fan of fish and seafood, so I just looked). We also saw salt pans (and salt being sold).
We are camping again on the way. Now at a campsite in Mosnac. Tomorrow we will continue.
I will write another blog in a few days. If you would like to be notified when this blog is published, please subscribe to the newsletter here (on the homepage).
,
Wheelchairpilgrim
Begining of the end!
august 9, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Here I am again, from San Marcos (just before Santiago de Compostella!). The beginning of the end of this pilgrimage is in sight. It took quite some effort to get this far, and the journey here was not without its challenges. That is why it took longer than expected for me to write again. But everything turned out fine.
When we were just before the border with Spain (near Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port), my car broke down. The ANWB sent a French tow truck to take us to their company. There we had to wait for further assistance, but that was very difficult… it took a lot of time and phone calls before a solution was found, especially because my wheelchair did not fit in the local taxis. We arrived at the breakdown service at around 3 p.m. At around 2 a.m., the ANWB told us that there would be no solution that night and that we would have to spend the night there. We spent the night in a tent in the company’s car park. There was no toilet or water when the company was closed. Fortunately, we still had some water in the car, but it was a difficult time.
Luckily, the next day we were able to go with the tow truck driver to a garage in Biarritz. It took 24 hours to leave. In Biarritz, the ANWB allowed us to spend a night in a nice hotel, which we really needed after the previous night. The next day we got a rental car (which was a bit tricky for the ANWB because I’m only allowed to drive an automatic and my wheelchair has to fit), but it had to be picked up in Irun. My son took the train there and picked up the car while I waited at the hotel. That was fine with me, because I had everything I needed there, even mint water and delicious macarons. But my son was out of luck because a Spaniard’s car pushed him onto the road, causing significant damage to the bodywork, luckily nothing more than that. The Spaniard kept going, and it was too fast to take a license plate. My son drove on to me at the hotel. Once there, I discovered that the passenger door couldn’t be opened because of the dent. After consulting with the ANWB (Royal Dutch Touring Club), we left anyway, but they said they would try to arrange a replacement car. Luckily, they succeeded the next day. Ultimately, we were delayed by more than two days, but we were finally able to get going. Fortunately, we were suddenly driving a very luxurious, large car.
All this hassle with the car and the wheelchair last time doesn’t make it easy for me to get to Santiago… but luckily we were able to continue. Yesterday I drove a lot and made it to Leon. And today I drove the last 300+ km and now we’re at my familiar campsite in San Marcos, where I stayed for 10 days after getting stranded in May.
On the way, we briefly stopped at a few places today, including O’Cebreiro. I had passed by there, but it was very cold and foggy then, and there was even some snow on the side of the road now and then. Now it was warm and clear, and it was lovely to be able to see this town again. We also visited other places along the way that I had passed in the spring, and we drove on many familiar roads and past many eucalyptus trees. It was strange to drive from Leon to San Marcos in a few hours today, while it would have taken me about two weeks on wheels!
Tomorrow morning I’ll be making the last leg of the pilgrimage in my wheelchair. Hopefully, after 10 years, I’ll finally arrive in Santiago!
I’ll keep you updated.
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Wheelchairpilgrim
Last day to Santiago de Compostella!
august 10, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
Made it! The big day of my final leg to Santiago de Compostela. This morning we drove to the place where I got a broken wheelchair last year, near Santiago airport. There, in a parking lot, I retrieved my wheelchair and front wheel from the car and reassembled them. After that, I was ready to go.
I rolled past the campsite where I was sleeping and where one of my followers was also staying (she spends a lot of time in this area). She treated me to a breakfast of juice and an egg sandwich, so I was well-fed for the rest of the journey. I rolled past many eucalyptus trees and a hill from which I could see the cathedral towers. I slowly rolled into the city. I received two more stamps along the way. When I arrived at the square by the cathedral, my son and the follower were already waiting for me.
Afterward, I went to the pilgrim office. There, they asked me about my story in detail, examined my pilgrim passports thoroughly, and stamped all my passports to confirm my arrival. Then I received my “Compostella,” a certificate confirming my arrival. You get this certificate if you’ve walked/rolled at least 100km or cycled 200km. I also received a distance certificate, which unfortunately shows a much shorter distance (2650km) than I actually covered (about 3800km), because the standard route from Haarlem to Santiago is calculated and doesn’t include my enormous detours via Taizé, Rocamadour, and Lourdes, among others.
After that, I visited the “living room” of the Society of St. James on the first floor. It’s a great elevator, and I fit in with my front wheel. After that, I was completely out of energy, and we headed back to the campsite. We were back at 7:30 PM because I also wanted to attend the Eucharist celebration in the cathedral. Unfortunately, there was no swinging censer, but otherwise, it was a good service.
When we came out of the cathedral there was some street theatre which we watched for a while and then we went home
Many ask me what it’s like for me to arrive there. Of course, it’s special. Especially after so many years. It’s wonderful to finally be here, truly, in this place where people have been pilgriming for centuries. It’s also strange to only be here for one day and not know any of the arriving pilgrims, and they don’t know me either. It’s wonderful to visit the cathedral and explore the city, although I sometimes struggle with all the commercialism surrounding it. I clearly notice that I enjoy the peace and quiet along the way most (and in that peace, praying, singing, and letting my mind wander) and less the hustle and bustle and commercialism upon arrival. Although today it was also quite busy on the paths along the way. Anyway, today felt more like a walk than a pilgrimage, since it was only about 14km.
I’m happy and grateful that everything worked out today and that I can finally bring this to a close after 10 years. But finishing this journey certainly doesn’t mean the end of me as a wheelchair pilgrim and/or the end of this blog, but rather that there’s room for new pilgrimage adventures! I’m looking forward to future pilgrimages, both for rolling and preparing. Because a next route will require a bit more planning than the one to Santiago, where everything is so well organized. But I actually find it very pleasant if it is a little less prepared than this Spanish part and I can come up with routes myself.
I won’t be writing a daily blog post on my way back, but I will be posting every now and then. So, if you haven’t already, subscribe to the newsletter so you’ll stay informed when I post something.
Wheelchairpilgrim
Back home
augustus 20, 2025 door rolstoelpelgrim
It’s been another 10 days. Time for a blog post.
Looking back on my arrival, I’m glad I’ve finally completed it. It gives me peace of mind, and I’m really looking forward to making new plans. Last week I received an email/newsletter from an English pilgrim organization, and I’ve noticed I’m looking at the route and accommodation tips differently now, and I’m saving them so I can use them later. I’m already looking forward to my next trip!
I’ve been in Taizé since Sunday, having done a few other things along the way beforehand. First, we drove to Biarritz. The ANWB had said the car would be ready, but when we got to the garage, it turned out they’d ordered the wrong thing, which meant the repair would take even longer. Fortunately, after consulting with the ANWB, they agreed we could keep the rental car until we got home, and my car would be transported to the Netherlands. So, unfortunately, I didn’t get my own car back yet (and I’ll probably be without one for a while when I get home), but we were able to continue our journey. On the way, I stayed overnight in Lourdes, celebrated Mass in the morning at the shrine near the grotto, had lunch at an Indian restaurant to celebrate my arrival in Santiago, and then continued on, as travel time was limited. We did find time to spend a few hours at an airplane museum in Toulouse. My favorite plane, the Super Guppy, was there too. We also saw many other airplanes, from very large to tiny. Everything was very wheelchair accessible, and one ticket came with a discount and the companion was free, so another fun and affordable outing.
It’s been another 10 days. Time for a blog post.
Looking back on my arrival, I’m glad I’ve finally completed it. It gives me peace of mind, and I’m really looking forward to making new plans. Last week I received an email/newsletter from an English pilgrim organization, and I’ve noticed I’m looking at the route and accommodation tips differently now, and I’m saving them so I can use them later. I’m already looking forward to my next trip!
I’ve been in Taizé since Sunday, having done a few other things along the way beforehand. First, we drove to Biarritz. The ANWB had said the car would be ready, but when we got to the garage, it turned out they’d ordered the wrong thing, which meant the repair would take even longer. Fortunately, after consulting with the ANWB, they agreed we could keep the rental car until we got home, and my car would be transported to the Netherlands. So, unfortunately, I didn’t get my own car back yet (and I’ll probably be without one for a while when I get home), but we were able to continue our journey. On the way, I stayed overnight in Lourdes, celebrated Mass in the morning at the shrine near the grotto, had lunch at an Indian restaurant to celebrate my arrival in Santiago, and then continued on, as travel time was limited. We did find time to spend a few hours at an airplane museum in Toulouse. My favorite plane, the Super Guppy, was there too. We also saw many other airplanes, from very large to tiny. Everything was very wheelchair accessible, and one ticket came with a discount and the companion was free, so another fun and affordable outing.
Wheelchairpilgrim
2 weeks home and looking back on 10 years pilgrimage.
september 8, 2025 by rolstoelpelgrim
I’ve been home for almost two weeks now. It took a while before I wrote another blog post because I was completely drained of energy after returning. I’m actually more tired now than after a regular pilgrimage. I think it’s mainly because of all the hassle with my car and the short, yet therefore much more intense, journey. My own car hasn’t returned yet, but hopefully it will arrive by the end of the week, then I’ll be mobile again. The rental car had to be returned soon after arriving in the Netherlands.
The week in Taizé was (again) very good, a lovely group of people. I also had the opportunity to give a workshop on pilgrimage there with another pilgrim, though unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of that. It was fun; there were about 20 people, some of whom were also pilgrims, and some were considering going to Santiago. It led to a nice group discussion. More talks are coming, so keep an eye on my blog.
After Taizé, it was time for the return trip. We drove home in two and a half days. At home, I was mostly busy unpacking and resting. While we were on the way back, I heard that a spot had opened up for a pilgrimage with the parish. I had signed up for it but was too late and ended up on a waiting list. So, from September 1st to 3rd, I was in Kevelaer. I had been there briefly before, but never really. It took some getting used to. As you know, I always live very simply on my pilgrimage and long for plenty of peace and quiet in nature. Now I ended up with about 170 people (spread over three buses) at a pilgrimage site, staying in a hotel with good meals three times a day and lots of people. It was very pleasant, and I also liked the program, including church services, but I didn’t feel like a true pilgrim there.
Back home, I mostly rested. I also slowly started the initial preparations for next year’s trip. For example, I just ordered a cycling map of Great Britain so I can start planning a route in the coming weeks. I will write about that in subsequent blogs.
Besides looking ahead, it’s also time to reflect on 10 years of pilgrimage. When I started 2016 and people asked me how long I wanted to take, I often said it would definitely take 10 years, and that turned out to be spot on. Although, in all honesty, when I started in 2016, I never actually expected to actually make it all the way. But I did it! I’m glad I succeeded and look back on so many wonderful memories, both in encounters and the landscape/nature I rolled through.
Normally, at the end of my annual pilgrimage, I always write a summary of distances, highs, and lows, and now I want to do that again, but this time for the journey as a whole.
Highest point, 2024, Somportpas, 1620m
Lowest point, 2016/2023, Netherlands, approximately -4m
My route went through 5 countries: the Netherlands, Germany (a short stretch just across the border, near Sittard), Belgium, France, and Spain.
I needed 7 pilgrim passports (stamped on one side) with a total of 261 stamps.
Distance :
2023 Alphen – Haarlem 50km 3 days (I was longer on the way but that was not part of this route)
2016 , Haarlem – Den Bosch, 178km 6 days
2017 Den Bosch – Maastricht 205km 7 days
2018, Maastricht-Reims 400km 13 days
2019 Reims-Avallon 344km 13 days
2020 Avallon – Taizé 272 13 days
2021 Taizé- Le-Puy-en-Velay 328km 17 days
2022 Le-Puy-en-Velay – Rocamadour 369km 20 days
2024 Rocamadour – Logroño 963km, 36 days
2025 Logroño – Santiago de Compostella 738 31 days
Total 3847km in 146 days
My Compostella certificate states 2680 km, which was the shortest route from Haarlem to Santiago. So I took quite a detour, and it was definitely worth it. It’s precisely those detours (via Paray-le-Monial, Taizé, Rocamadour, and Lourdes, among others) where I deviated from the standard routes that I have the fondest memories of. Not only because of the destination I wanted to visit, but especially because I often had special encounters and/or adventures on those sections of the route.
That’s why I’m now looking forward to new plans. There are many walking/cycling routes in Great Britain, but no route that runs completely from start to finish to where I want to go (I’m thinking of a route from Canterbury to Iona, but that could easily change). So it will be a bit more of a puzzle to figure out which roads I want to take and which other pilgrimage sites I want to visit along the way. A few years ago, my sister gave me a very thick book for my birthday listing all the pilgrimage sites and routes in Great Britain. And there are a lot of them. So my plan for now is again not to take the shortest route and to see which routes are somewhat accessible and pass beautiful places. It’s simply going to be a multi-year plan.
Besides pilgrimage sites, I also hope to visit various people there, for example, my sister who has lived in England for years, and also several others I’ve met on my way to Santiago or in Taizé who offered me a place to stay if I’m near them. I certainly hope that in England, like in France, I’ll be able to stay with people in their homes or churches more often. Since I don’t have language barriers (as I do in Spain, but to a lesser extent in France), I can more easily ask around in a village if I can stay somewhere, pitch my tent at a farm, or call the church to ask if they know of a place to stay. I’m looking forward to slowly but surely working this out into a good plan. Although I’m only going to map out the route in broad strokes; I’ll figure out the details/accommodations when I get there.
For now, I expect to leave around the end of May 2026. Until then, I’ll keep you updated occasionally, especially if I have any news. A TV program will air in November that will include a segment about my trip. I’ll let you know as soon as the date and time are set.
Wheelchairpilgrim
I hope to be on the road again in the spring of 2026 (and perhaps even a short trip even sooner). Until then, I’ll be posting occasional blog posts about the preparations for the next pilgrimage.
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