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El Camino
  • James Byrne
  • James Byrne

El Camino

A 38-day adventure by James Read more
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  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler
    2

    Day 25: Hospital - El Ganso

    October 28, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    It was a sad farewell from an awesome stay at Albergue Verde, and also to Inés and Anne-Cécile as I don't see them again until Santiago.

    I had some ground to make up on the rest of the crew, so walked pretty quick and ended up with a good 33km day.

    I saw American Ben on the way and walked with him and Colin to this donativo rest area which was awesome. They had the cutest football playing dog there! So cute.

    The rest of the day was eerily desolate, so few pilgrims and super quiet towns. I took the off road detours which was nice, until at one point I stumbled upon a baby boar! The path was super narrow with thick trees, so I felt if Mumma Boar came to find me I'd be in real trouble. Heart rate was elevated.

    Feeling pretty weary i stopped at this ghost town, opening the door to an empty albergue. Kind of creepy, but I rang this bell and this lovely Spaniard appeared. He does extreme sports, which includes paragliding skiing! Absolutely mental.

    We had only 6 beds and a an electric fireplace which gave a super cosy feel to it. I had a great chat with 'cousin' Damien Byrne, and the two German brothers Anton and Lucas. A half-cold shower is a fair trade for a bed with a super comfy doona.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler
    2

    Day 26: El Ganso - Molinesca

    October 29, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The mornings company was young Anton from Berlin! A really earnest guy trying to learn all he can from everyone else, we had a great chat. He's also about 6'6 and his pace as we climbed up the mountain was ridiculous, but we managed (or he slowed for me).

    The view from the top was lovely! I dropped a rock at the famous cruz de ferro, which id been given at SJPP, and as I was already pretty damp from the rain elected to push on. First we had a steep incline, potentially to the highest point in the whole camino, and now the descent. It was pretty tough going as it got colder and wetter, both physically and then later mentally.

    Unsure of whether to push onto Pontferrada I arrived in Molinesca and couldn't go past. An incredibly quaint village by a stream! The feet were also relieved after two 30+ days and i was very keen to dry off.

    After a visit to the church, i parked up on the balcony for a pretty well earned beer. Time to recap the days language learning from my podcasts! Super relaxing.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 27: Molinesco - Villafranca

    October 30, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    This may have been the most beautiful day of all! Walking through vineyards in del Bierzo country during autumn, the colours were spectacular.

    I did a speed walk through Pontferrada which had a stunning castle, and pushed on. I got some good Spanish practice talking to Julio, one of the Spaniards who I think felt a bit isolated by how few Spanish speakers there are at the moment.

    The landscape was stunning, and my day got better when I heard a yell and realised I had caught up to the rest of the crew at the park! Maik, Florence, Brook, Ruben and Tina, it was really good to see them all again. I definitely needed their company and distraction as we rolled through the beautiful hills and vineyards. After another 30+ days my legs were feeling it like they haven't for a long time.

    The town itself is also beautiful, lots of stone and churches. There was also some tourists outside our albergue who asked to take a photo of us, meaning we either looked the part of pilgrims, stank, or both. Our albergue is RUSTIC, but not instagram rustic, pretty authentic. Home cooked paella for dinner!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 28: Villafranca - O Cebreiro

    October 31, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Two of the most feared words on the Camino; BED BUGS. We woke up to a fair bit of excitement, with some recognising a bug or two as bed bugs. Notoriously difficult to get rid of, and apparently going around the region at the moment, everyone was a little tense this morning. After a team meeting we decided to head down to the laundromat to wash and dry our clothes with a lot of heat. We also bought and and body spray.

    A few hours later we hit the road, which was certainly not ideal given the 27kms and the massive mountain at the end to climb. The walk itself was quite nice, with rain all day as a companion. We took shelter for lunch in a car port next to the supermarket and relieved Tina of the red wine she had been carrying all day! The owner of the house even drove up and was super nice, insisting we stay.

    I stopped off at a beautiful little church and prayed there for a while, then walked off to town. I had thought we were staying at the foot of the mountain, given how late it was (and how rainy), but when I called Ruben to ask about which albergue he said they were halfway up the mountain! 8kms, 700m incline, in the pouring rain, with only 2 hours till sunset. While I wondered at the wisdom of that decision, off I set. This was some of the hardest 2 hours I've ever done. Praying for strength and having a lot of time to make up, I resolved not to take a break.

    Legs, lungs and heart on fire, I was incredibly happy to see everyone else and walk together in the pouring rain. Everyone was also at the limit which made it pretty special, some people singing, intermittent yelling, and genuinely hugs when we reached the albergue.

    Mass was at 6pm, just as we walked in the door, so everyone let me check in first and duck out. I was glad I did, mass was special. The site of a famous Eucharistic miracle and mass with a lovely Franciscan. We got a lovely stone with a yellow arrow as part of the pilgrim blessing, capping off a challenging but very memorable day.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 29: O Cebreiro - Tricastela

    November 1, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    More mountains! We stayed high, walking up and down through some beautiful hills. The cows are back, reminding me of the very start of the Camino. After a big final climb we stopped at a cafe with a HUGE dog called Toby. In Spain they are not 'good boys' there are 'Buen chicos'.

    Tenee had stayed at an Australian albergue and was nice enough to share a little tray of Vegemite with me. Amazing.

    We had a bit of a rest day today with 20kms into Tricastela and an awesome albergue. As our boots were all still soaked this afternoon, the excitement of a dedicated boot warming room by the fire was Incredible. We also had both a top and bottom sheet for the very first time! The English contingent didn't know what to do with the top sheet which made me laugh.

    Dinner was very funny, another reminder of how lucky I am to have an amazing group of people to walk with.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 30: Triastacela - Portmarrin

    November 2, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Marathon day! Or at least close to, a little over 40kms. We are very much in Galicia now, with everyday having good hills and a constant bit of rain. But it is very green and with beautiful scenery.

    We had a quick start with the crew, but then I needed to wait in Sarria for 12pm mass before I could begin again. I late lunch on the road and only stopped very briefly before arriving at 6:30pm or so.

    For the afternoon I ran into two lovely Americans, Kristen and Don, who were actually so great on a long day when conversation made the days go very quickly.

    We had dinner at the only open place, which served pretty touristy food. I've never been happier with a chicken schnitzel and beer, an probably never deserved one more. It went down so well. The vibes were high, everyone really felt like we'd done a good days work today, prepping for a good few final days into Santiago. Venga!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 31: Portmarrin - Palais del Reis

    November 3, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Day 31, we creep closer to the finish line! Because i love this walk so much, and with some spare time in Sydney when I get home, I've decided to extend to walk to Finisterre (end of world). This is the western most part of Europe, literally the end of the world for Europeans throughout history. Apparently seeing the coast after so long is special. I'm excited.

    Today was another day in Galicia, up and down and up and down through beautiful towns and farmland. We caught up with some French friends today which nice. Marco, our favourite french-speaking Italian, could not stop laughing when I stopped to put on sunscreen. "But it's November!" He has a point.

    I was talked into having a chupito "shot" along the walk, then a beer at the next bar. This was great for a while, but certainly not as great as the kilometres kept coming. Won't be doing that again.

    A chill little town, and with no kitchen facilities we just did a 'tapas' kind of dinner, which was pretty much just ready to eat things from the supermarket. All things considered, quite good! We also had a good laugh with Aussie Liz at the Albergue who I hadn't seen in a while. Everyone else loved her saying "You guys are a hoot", which turns out is an Audtralian-ism.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 32: Palais del Rei - Arzua

    November 4, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The distance clock is ticking down, and it is terrifying. And exciting. Today's 28kms was pretty brutal, constant up and down, and the body generally feeling a bit tired. Santiago is within reach, and no one's quite sure how to feel about it.

    But a few days rest with Jack and Eammon in Santiago will be awesome.

    Today's highlight was definitely visiting Melida and eating at a very authentic pulperia (restaurant specialising in octopus). This town is famous for it and for good reason. DELICIOUS. I also loved the fact that they served wine out of small white bowls called cuncas, which apparently is very common in authentic Galician places. If your thumb isn't red with wine you're not doing it right apparently (i was not).    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 33: Arzua - O Pedrouzo

    November 5, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    The countdown to Santiago is on! Everyone is a bit unsure how to feel about being so close. Today's walk was a nice 19 or so, keeping it chilled until we arrive in Santiago. I walked today with Marco and Emmanuel, all starting a bit later this morning. Galicia is beautiful and green, and green of course means very rainy.

    As a boost to our dampselves, Marco found an albergue with a sauna and hot spa! Kind of strange timing to do it a day before Santiago, but we were cold and wet so who cares. It was incredible. My body felt like it was floating, which after weeks of stiffness and soreness was pretty incredible.

    Florence and Marco cooked up an incredible sausage stewn to round out the night.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler
    1

    Day 34: SANTIAGO

    November 6, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    There was a strange feeling in the air this morning, anticipation like grand final day or about to go in a battle. Just a feeling that today was something significant.

    With the goal of arriving for the 12pm mass, Florence and I set off at a mean pace. Feeling like he was losing some of his cardio fitness Florence was running up hills the mad man.

    With barely a stop, we got to the square in front of Santiago. It was a very strange feeling, like we didn't know exactly what to feel or do. We shared a hug, I shed a tear, and then we headed off to mass. Despite a massive amount of people, this was pretty special. The cathedral and altar is amazing.

    And of course, like most of my Camino, on my first mass there I had the privilege of witnessing the Botafumeiro, which is a huge incense that is swung through the church, by 8 people! Its about 1.5m high and a long long time ago, in addition to the traditional incense use, was used to purify the smell of the pilgrims sleeping in the upper chambers of the Cathedral. It is quite rare to see due to the effort of its use, so this really was a special privilege.

    An incredible mass and confession later, I met everyone in the main square as they arrived which was amazing. There were hugs all round and we then started on a food crawl of Santiago which was exceptional. So many bars and restaurants! Of course we enjoyed a few well earned beers as well. Spirits were very high for what was our last meal before the Camino family was splitting up, but I also had a deep appreciation for being able to meet and spend time with this group of people for a really special experience. Happy I have a few days of rest in Santiago to soak everything in!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Days 35-38: Santiago

    November 8, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    I felt very privileged that Eammon and Jack flew from London for the weekend to see me in Santiago. It was definitely strange seeing them in the pilgrim context, but so nice to spend time with old friends.

    These were a really great few days. Marco made the best Italian pesto, we bad more incredible pulpo and wine, beautiful masses and just really enjoyed the city. It was also really nice walking around and bumping into pilgrim after pilgrim, sharing stories and congratulating each other. This would have been strange for Jack and Eammon but an interesting glimpse into the Camino life.

    Once they arrived, I lined up with Inés and Anne-Cécile to get the Compestela certificate. While initially not that excited, feeling it was more about my journey than about a paper, receiving it felt really special and like people understood the achievement.

    A great city with some very special memories. Onto Finisterre!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 38: Santiago - Negreira

    November 10, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Feeling like the last survivors, Marco, Inés, Anne-Cécile and I began the walk to Finisterre. Absolutely stunning! A beautiful forest with moss and trees, and the occasional Australian eucalyptus which was nice. With everyone running a final errand or two in Santiago we only started walking at about 2pm, our usual arrival time.

    A few of the bodies felt a little rusty after a lovely few days break, so progress was a little slow, but we all get along very well so it was a good day. With everyone being French speaking I received some good French speaking lessons and tips. Absolutely ridiculous language.

    Marco, being the legend he is, had dinner ready when we got to our albergue at 7:30pm. My contribution was leftover beers, which carried in the pack for all day isn't a bad effort. Everyone is pretty exhausted, so a low key recovery night tonight.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 39: Negreira - Lago

    November 11, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    We set out quite late, which maybe I should just refer to as the norm now, and enjoyed some further beautiful countryside. Galicia is absolutely lovely, although I wish sometimes we would be blessed with a non rainy day. Can't win them all.

    I will certainly miss the ritual of a cafe con leche and tomate con pan. So simple yet so good.

    As i was leaving the cafe Ines and Anne-Cecile were a few minutes by, so I waited for them and I was glad I did, because morale was LOW. With the walk to Finisterre having so many less pilgrims, and being after Ssntiago, I did start to wonder why I was here. Lending some company to these two seemed like a pretty good start.

    Taking it in turns with Ines to show each other songs definitely helped get us to "marche rapide" for a while. Battling unbelievable winds and rains it was very much a laugh and enjoy it day, otherwise you will cry haha. A soaking wet 7pm arrival was followed by the longest shower of my Camino. Menu del dia never tasted so good. How Anne-Cécile has done this for months I will never know.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 40: Lago - Cee

    November 12, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Another beautiful day of beautiful rain! Some lovely scenery again, Galicia really has been a unique part of the Camino, very different and lovely landscapes.

    We lost Marco today, and seeing only 3 other pilgrims the entire day it did feel like a big loss.

    First glimpse of the ocean, what a feeling! It would have been incredible with some sun and blue sky, but the lashing rain and wind lended its own beauty.

    Like everyday post Santiago, soaking wet and earning a nice hot shower and a 1907, my favourite beer to pronounce, mil novascientos seis.

    Inés cooked up Basque chicken, absolutely incredible. While I gave the chicken 10/10 I made the mistake of only giving an 8.85 to the strawberries and Chantilly cream. I my defence, Inés had accidentally poured a mountain of sugar on mine, but she has high standards so demanded an explanation, which Anne-Cécile had the pleasure of translating. We couldn't make eye contact for fear of laughing more.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 41: Cee - Finisterre

    November 13, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    I reallt should stop mentioning ths rain, but today a man told me it rains more in Galicia London.

    Again it was so nice spending time with AC and Inés. Inés is so sweet and so hilarious. All day I hear "James Malinoix" (after the malinoix dog that was behind our first meeting), and today also Inés started calling me Pere Noelle. After some confusion, turns out "Father Noelle" is France's Santa Claus, and my beard was long and with enough white hairs to get the nod.

    Finisterre was really something. While Anne-Cécile talked about her memories of it being a warm, coastal paradise, my experience is of a brutally rough and rugged place. Really fitting for the end of the world.

    This was an amazing place to reflect and think, if I have made it all the way here, I can do anything. Everyone seemed similarly affected, and I had an awesome chat with Colin who I hadn't seen for a few weeks. Turns out we're in almost identical situations. Such a nice guy.

    To fit the occasional and to also enjoy the coastal Spanish food, we headed out to a restaurant for some octopus and prawns. Unbelievable as always.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 42: Finisterre - Muxia

    November 14, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    The real end and actual last day walking. Going to Santiago the feeling for most people was not wanting it to end and face reality. I' feeling pretty ready to finish walking. Also the first solo days walk in a while which was strange buy also great.

    Following a different map, and while it was what I later discovered to be the absolute longest way possible with several extra kms, I found incredible coastal views! For the first time Galicias Celtic history clicked, the landscape felt very Irish. And some stunning beaches.

    I met Inés and Anne-Cécile at the Albergue, and they had been working! A bus day for them, Inés was back on the cooking tools, doing what she does best. This was another really lovely night. Certainly not where I had expected to be but incredible company to have met on the way. What a Camino.    Read more

    Trip end
    November 9, 2025
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