{camino day 29} reliegos to arcahueja
What a long and boring walk. First, it was freezing cold (38ºF) when I left Reliegos in the dark at 7 a.m. with two nice ladies, Janine and Margaret from Australia and New Zealand. There was nothing to...
View Article{camino day 30} arcahueja to león
I left Arcahueja at 7:30 a.m. to walk into León. I thought the walk would be as awful as it was going into Pamplona and Burgos, but it wasn’t that bad. I passed some industry — some defunct and some […]
View Article{camino day 31} león to valverde de la virgen
The walk out of León was an ordeal mainly because I was walking on city streets and through industrial areas. I left my hostel at 8:30 because I knew it was to be a short walk, but I first stopped […]
View Article{camino day 32} valverde de la virgen to hospital de órbigo
I left at 6:55 a.m. in the cold dark (46°F), but it was just as well; I didn’t miss a thing. I felt like all I wanted was to get away from the road! The whole solitary walk today was […]
View Articlepoetic journeys: a contagion of fireflies
A Contagion of Fireflies With nonchalance, the morning flung a flannel cloak high over the Meseta. In the wind gusts, wheat stalks fluttered and moon-faced sunflowers sashayed in a rush of whispers....
View Article{camino day 33} hospital de órbigo to astorga
I left Hospital de Órbigo at 7:40, then stopped at Don Suero de Quiñones for a huge chocolate croissant and cafe con leche. There, I ran into Coreen from Oregon again; she had stayed the night in the...
View Article{camino day 34} astorga to rabanal del camino
I didn’t get far in Astorga before I stopped for my cafe con leche, orange juice and potato tortilla for 6€, which was highway robbery. It was a cold 38°F, so I was bundled in gloves, a hat and three […]
View Article(camino day 35} rabanal del camino to el acebo & ruminations {week 5}
Today, we headed up to the highest part of our journey, crossing the most mountainous part of the journey since the Pyrenees. I got a late start at 8:30 a.m. since I had a hotel room and wanted to...
View Article{camino day 36} el acebo to ponferrada
I left El Acebo at 7:34 in the dark. Below me, Ponferrada sparkled in the valley. I headed downhill on an asphalt road. A German guy walked with me for a bit but our ability to communicate was...
View Article{camino day 37} ponferrada to cacabelos
This was a short day distance-wise but a long day attitude-wise. I felt like quitting and curling up in a bed the whole day. First, I got lost leaving Ponferrada, where the Camino waymarks seemed to...
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{camino day 38} cacabelos to trabadelo
I left Cacabelos in pouring rain at 8 a.m. after toast and a large cafe con leche at the hostel, Saint James Way. After clearing the town, I climbed up through vineyards and, though it was raining,...
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{camino day 39} trabadelo to o’cebreiro
I left Trabadelo in the dark at 7:55 with several Brazilians. We stuck together despite our language barrier, walking along a highway for a long while. All day, we had a steady uphill climb, but the...
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{camino day 40} o’cebreiro to triacastela
Before leaving O’Cebreiro, I took my backpack to Hotel O’Cebreiro because the municipal albergues don’t take or send ahead backpacks. I left the town at 8 a.m. under a painterly sunrise of rich...
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{camino day 41} triacastela to sarria
Today was alternately foggy, damp, drizzling, and outright raining. Through it all, it was cold. We were greeted by roosters cockadoodling, chickens clucking and pecking, and lackadaisical cows grazing...
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{camino day 42} sarria to portomarín & ruminations {week 6}
I left my alberque at 7:30 but stopped at a cafe in Sarria for two fried eggs, bacon and cafe con leche. I felt quite heavy by the time I left at 8:00. I walked past the 13th century Igrexa de San...
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{camino day 43} portomarín to lestedo
I got a late start, at 8:50 a.m., leaving Portomarín on a reddish dirt path in the fog with Darina, who I met at a cafe in town. We crossed a small bridge over the río Torres, and then up through a...
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{camino day 44} lestedo to melide
I hated to leave my comfortable hotel on this cold and dark morning, but I had nearly 20km to walk. After eating a hearty breakfast, I was on my way at 8:09. Clouds were nestled into the folds of the...
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{camino day 45} melide to arzúa
Today was a short hiking day. I left Melide in the dark at 8:04 a.m. and though it had rained all night, it had cleared by morning. I soon left the busyness of the city behind and made my way into a...
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{camino day 46} arzúa to pedrouzo
I left Arzúa in the dark at 7:40 and walked a good hour alone through a pitch black forest of oaks and invasive eucalyptus, planted here to be used in the manufacture of furniture and paper. At times,...
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{camino day 47} pedrouzo to santiago
I started off at 7:45 from Pedrouzo through eucalyptus forests in the dark, but unlike yesterday, many pilgrims accompanied me on the trail. The sunrise was beautiful. Pilgrims were posing by a...
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