Finding The Way

Wynette: Around our 3rd night on the Camino, we decided to stay at Hotel Akerreta, in tiny Akerreta near slightly bigger Larrasoaña. Before we left home we looked ahead for possible places to stay the first few nights and saw this one, I think on TripAdvisor. We didn’t make a reservation till noon of the day we stayed there, however, since we weren’t sure how far we’d get. As we were checking in, the owner asked us if we’d seen the movie The Way. We said yes. He asked if we remembered the scene where Martin Sheen meets the Canadian woman, the people eating on the patio, the man pretending to be bullfighter. We said yes and then he said all that was filmed in the hotel. He pointed out the patio where all that happened. I think I got the picture below from just about where Martin Sheen was standing when he was talking to the fictional owner who was pretending to be a bullfighter.

We didn’t know about any of this when we chose the hotel. At one point in the day or so before, I’d mentioned to Charlie I wondered if we’d pass that place and recognize it. Was very cool to run across it like that. Also a lovely place to spend the night. Here’s the delightful man who really owns the place.

We didn’t spot the bridge where Martin Sheen dropped his backpack. We saw several similar bridges but never found a place that seemed quite right. I don’t think we’ll see it now because I read the movie was filmed in sequence and that was near the beginning.

We are currently in Burgos. I’m not sure but I think this is where Martin Sheen’s backpack was stolen and they ended up partying with the Gitanos. But we haven’t yet seen any gypsies here. Maybe we’ll find out if, as we leave Burgos tomorrow, we recognize the gate to which the gypsy boy carried his pack.