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Camino De Santiago
  • Meaghan Curry

Camino De Santiago

Walking the Camino Frances, 790km from St. Jean to Santiago. Weiterlesen
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  • Beginn der Reise
    30. April 2022
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    Day Three: Roncesvalles to Zubiri

    2. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    So I arrived in Zubiri, well just a bit further on. It’s been a long day but the hike was short. I lost all of my money at some point today! Not sure how that happened. But alas. I’m fine it’s just from the tiredness and more money in hand.

    Today I walked from Roncesvalles in the mountains all the way to Urdeniz.

    I walked with Carlos from Spain. A lovely guy and very nice to talk Spanish again after such a long time. I even remembered the phrase ‘se va a su ola’ which I think was somewhat impressive.

    The day was a lot of downhill, heavy on the knees and I was hungry! But absolutely beautiful and no rain.

    Tonight I am staying at Albergue Aci y Alla en Urdeniz. I’m having the communal dinner tonight, and currently I am sitting with Utra, Marie, Peter-Anne and Danielle by a fire which is at least warm.

    Tomorrow to Pamplona - I have a private room so I can shower and relax in peace!    Weiterlesen

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    Day Five: Pamplona to Puente de la reina

    4. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today was a full day. I started the walk this morning at around 7.30 - a little later than usual. But, I slept!! A good night sleep free of snoring. Wonderful! I have to admit I was so tired by the time I checked in to my private room that I bought some sandwich makings and ate them in my room watching tv. Not quite the Camino experience, but I’m at peace with it.

    The day started with leaving Pamplona, moving further away from the city towards the countryside. Cars and roads give away to flowers and fields. I ran into Becky who I had met on the flight, and she was with a big group of people. There was Nico the American from I don’t know where. He was a little standoffish (sorry Nico!), but there was also Jim the retired construction manager from San Francisco. Hodges, the traveller who had introduced me to poles in SJPDP. He was lovely. Becky is from the isle of white, and was very welcoming when I asked if I could join them!

    The first part of the walk was slowly meandering up towards the Alto de Perdon, it was steep but we had all stopped in Ciruz Menor for coffee so I felt prepared. I ended up walking mainly with hodges who told me my walking poles were set up wrong! But he helped me learn how to tie my shoes properly for the descent and I am so grateful for any knowledge that is pole related as I feel like Bambi.

    By the top of the summit everyone was stopping to take photos and I felt it was the right time to keep going. I surprised myself by how fast I could get up the hill. Once at the top I ran into Carlos who had climbed the summit with me on day one. And then I walked mostly by myself.

    I did feel slightly anxious at this point. Having been around so many groups today, I felt that walking alone I was somehow missing this experience, I have been a little like a vagrant moving from one group to another.

    I walked in this feeling for another 10k, but it passed as I reminded myself this walk is for me and no one else. I then met Nicolas, an Italian who wants to move to London. We walked with Becky’s group for a while and then they wanted to stop for another coffee - so we kept on. I mentioned that I wanted to do a small detour. He agreed to come with me and we found our way to the chapel at Eustani. We shared a sandwich I had brought and he told me about his outlook on life, we shared much of this and so we continued on together. We met Amy (from the first photo) and Merle who had walked the Camino before. He said food and water always a good option to pack, so I felt less bad about all of the trail mix and fruit that added another 6kg to my pack!

    In the end I walked over 27k today. I’m now at an albergue enjoying a beer and listening to the trees and the radio.

    All is good.    Weiterlesen

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    Day Six: Puente de La Reina to Estella

    5. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    I started the day with Nicolas at the Albergue Jaqkue. I slept quite well despite the lady above me who again snored through the night! I think I’m getting used to it now. I was up and out by around 7, and headed into town alone.

    The town of Puente de la Reina was absolutely beautiful. I stopped to have a coffee with Carlos from day one and another Carlos from Villalba near Madrid. He told me they made the best bread there in the whole of Spain. The other Carlos agrees to disagree!

    I walk on and walk alone, through vineyards and almond trees. There are fields on either side and there is grass swaying in the wind. Poppies and rapeseed, olive trees and grapes. The sun is shining and I am not feeling too tired.

    I walk through in this sun through to a town where I stop with Carlos and Carlos. I learn that Carlos is 59 and is retired, but runs a meditation school where he lives. He gives me some of his dried figs, Carlos 1 gives me some nuts. He tells me that there is no rush and to enjoy the day, he shows me a meditation.

    We go on walking until I meet with Alta from the second hostel. She is a South African who also works in software design. We walk together alongside Jim who is a thru-hiker from Texas. His knee is very bad, so I slow my pace to walk with him a while. I learn that he is a tech consultant, who worked with dell for 20 years. I try to keep an open mind as he explains how he voted for trump - but we end up finding common ground. ‘many of the worlds problems would be solved if people would just talk to each other’ he said, and he told me about the relationship with his daughter. He also said he would give everything in the world for an extra hour with his dad.

    I left him and Alta in Estella, my final destination for the day. It is a beautiful town, old and with chapels and churches lining the tiny streets. I wander around alone for the rest of the day. Pay for some laundry, and make plans for dinner with Alta and with Amy and Rochelle (who I will find out more about tonight!)

    I’m tired and feeling many emotions - anxious and lonely at times, calm and relaxed at others. Trying to let go of control is hard!

    Tomorrow is another day :)    Weiterlesen

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    Day Seven: Estella a Los Arcos

    6. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    I can barely remember the start of the day today! That feels very crazy to me, such full days of movement and experiencing.

    I had the best night sleep in Estella, in my little hostel pod. Shout out to the hostel Agora because I really did sleep free of worry!

    I started the day at 6.30 without setting an alarm, so I just went with my body clock. I walked out with Amy who was struggling with her feet a little bit. I walked with her to the local panaderia, but then stopped to grab a coffee and a baguette for the road. In the bar I met a man called Xavi who was also grabbing a coffee. I learned that he was Spanish also, living in Barcelona. He helped me navigate out of the city - he was a little anxious and jumpy. He mentioned to me that he was gay, I think he felt he needed to tell me as I was a woman walking alone! I felt grateful for his consideration. He got a little lost, and ended up walking out the wrong direction together. We corrected ourselves eventually! And then on we went to Los Arcos. He said he would leave me to walk my way - so we parted ways. I saw him again as I reached Los Arcos - but perhaps never again! Xavi, if you are ever in London I will certainly show you around the west end! Everyone is welcome in London.

    The day was spent alone again, but I really have come to enjoy this. I walked though fields and they were so beautiful. It actually was a little emotional! I stopped for a coffee but then walked quite fast through the rest of the day.

    I arrived to a small, rural town of Los Arcos around 12. I’m in a very colourful hostel tonight - not quite the good nights sleep anticipated but, still good I think! We will see. I showered, washed some things and went out to explore. I had a beer with Javier who told me to book as far ahead as I could for Sarria. I then added myself onto dinner with a group from my hostel room! I had a salad and a little bowl of broth and sangria!

    I spend the days osciallting between feeling happy and sad - this is pretty normal for me! Thank you to Chris who is always there for support and for a call when I am feeling lonely. It’s been hard sometimes and my body is certainly feeling it today.

    Tomorrow is a day of 28km - a big day into a large town called Logrono.

    Signing off for now! Bed for me.    Weiterlesen

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    Day Eight: Los Arcos a Logrono

    7. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    So, the day really started at 5.00 - there was a choir of snores throughout the night. I really am so surprised people can snore so intensely, I was glad to get out into the fresh air.

    I went out for dinner yesterday with a small group from the hostel. By the time I got up, most of them had already started the day. Ouch, did my body hurt today. I felt a twinge in my hip all the way down to my right foot as I scrambled out of the top bunk. I now understand why they say sorry when there are only top bunks left!

    A chorus of snores became a chorus of birds as I left at dawn this morning, making my way 6km to the first town. This is my favourite time of the day, and I resolve to try and leave early so I can enjoy it the most. Maybe this is easier said than done?

    Coffee number one and keep going. Another 10k to a second town called Viana. I see a lot of my fellow pilgrims so I stop for coffee 2. My pace is faster than most, so I stride on into the heat of the day.

    The final 10k I walk alone. I’m in La Rioja now and there are fields of grapes on either side. The landscape has flattened out, but the roads are hardened clay and they are tough on my feet!

    Walking alone into the city of Logrono I pass many pilgrims, and I arrive at the outskirts of town around 1. I covered 27km today. I arrive tired and feeling introverted. I set myself up in the hostel with the usual shower and laundry. I eat a sandwich of chorizo and bread in the patio. I venture in to the town.

    Logrono is a metropolitan centre, but very historic. I wander around the plaza central and visit the gilded cathedral. It is very busy everywhere, there are people ‘paseando’. It is still too early for me to find a bookstore, which was my aim. Things here close for hours over lunch time. Even if it is 4!

    There is street art everywhere. It’s so beautiful mixed in with the old buildings. After about an hour or so of walking around I find a tired Hodges, and his pilgrim family, they have struggled to find somewhere to sleep and they are on the floor in the cathedral! I make plans to meet them for dinner at the famous Calle Laurel.

    I then run into Carlos. It is his last day on the Camino, so we make plans too. I am sad that he will be ending the journey there, I will likely not see him again! A strange feeling when you have shared the journey so far.

    I am grateful for a cold beer and for some company in the form of Hodges and Becky and Nico (much nicer today!) and Lorenzo - who has found a pintxo bar with a famous garlic mushroom.

    We enjoy a beer, and then a famous Rioja wine and some Manchego cheese. The streets are popping with people! There are parties everywhere. The waiter mentions that this is an average Saturday night. It reminds me of London. I part ways with Becky and her crew to meet Carlos and Carlos at another bar. They show me two new tapas, and we share some more wine! It is now so busy on the narrow street you have to push past people to get though. I eat a pigs ear tapa, on a little bun. And more Rioja! I say goodbye to Carlos and he jokes that I owe him a beer. Come visit me in Madrid he says, and we part ways.

    A little hazy I find my way back to the Albergue. I have walked 50,000 steps my watch tells me.

    Tomorrow I have another 28k to go!    Weiterlesen

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    Day Nine: Logrono a Najera

    8. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Pain pain pain everywhere. I wince as I roll out of bed. My feet once planted on the floor almost buckle beneath me, it takes me by surprise.

    I walk to the bathroom and brush my teeth, there are still many sleeping pilgrims in the room. It is 6.30. Did my trousers get looser in the wash? I notice bruises on my hips and collarbones. My cheeks are windburned and my hair is frazzled. Today I feel like a pilgrim.

    I attempt to get my things together quietly, and I’m out by 7. A little foggy from the wine, and hungry. Nothing open until the next town, and that is in 10k. I make a start.

    The town is still recovering from Saturday night, groups of young men loiter around corners and couples sway together in the morning light. I feel like an intruder, and I keep walking to leave the city behind me. Today, nothing feels easy. My pace is slower, my legs are sore. My hips are burning.

    An hour in and I ask a man how far to the next town, he shares half an orange with me - and says there is a climb. So I climb! Everything feels wrong today. I plug in some music to keep my spirits up.

    After I reach the first town salvation comes in the form of two brief cafe con leche’s. I worry if I stop for too long, I may not start again. I’ve done 13k so far.

    Then comes the wine vineyards of the Rioja, and the heat of the day. I pay for a late start with hot sun rays and hard baked clay underfoot. A sharp pain has developed on my right foot, and my foot crises up. I develop a slight hobble. I keep going in the heat and through the pain. I just have to get to Najera.

    I arrive and I hobble to the hostel. It is lovely here, a bubbling stream right in front of my room. I call. Chris and he tells me I sound tired! I am grateful to hear his voice!

    I wander around in search of ibuprofen gel or something for my foot, I can now not stretch it. Many hobbling pilgrims in Najera today. Of course it is Sunday so I am out of luck. I am given some soothing gel by the receptionist without saying a word.

    As for now I’m reclined with my foot up. Maybe a solo dinner at a nearby meson? Or perhaps just sleep for me!    Weiterlesen

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    Day 10: Najera a Santo Domingo

    9. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    Well, actually Santo Domingo de la Calzada…but who is really checking?

    Day 10 starts with a sore throat. But feet are feeling a lot better, which is good. I also managed to sleep pretty well considering, but the throat is not ideal. I’m out of the albergue by 7.00. Yesterday Becky and her pilgrim family made some dinner and I joined them for pasta and vegetables! I miss vegetables. Even though the food is delicious I am not sure I am getting enough vitamins, hence the sore throat.

    The day today felt much like other days, walking alone, warm midday sun. I walked for the first 5k with David. A lovely Italian man who shared his story and his dreams of finding a little plot of land somewhere to grow vegetables. After a while I left and kept going on into the day. Another hot day and more baked clay beneath my feet. My foot starts to ache again.

    Much of the day passes without much event, and arrive at my destination at just after midday. The town is spread out around a central cathedral, with a story about a chicken at its heart.

    A devout German couple was making the pilgrimage to Santiago with their eighteen-year-old son. When they reached Santo Domingo, a local girl took a liking to the young German, who, being a good Christian, did not respond to her advances.

    Hurt and angry, she put a silver cup into his bag and accused him of theft. The town believed her and hung the innocent boy. His parents, although they were sad, went on to Santiago, where they prayed for their son. On their return trip, they again stopped in Santo Domingo, this time to visit their son’s body. To their surprise, he was still alive, and still hanging from his rope.

    The sheriff was just sitting down to a hearty poultry dinner, and laughed in their faces. “That boy is no more alive than these chickens on my plate,” he said.

    The roasted birds sprouted back their feathers and beaks, got up, and started walking around the dinner table. Properly chastened, the sheriff rushed to the gallows and released the young German, who was pardoned and allowed to go home.

    The story spread, lending credibility to the Santiago pilgrimage and drawing spiritual tourists to Santo Domingo itself, which petitioned the pope to allow them to display two birds, a hen and a rooster, inside the church as a symbol of the miracle.

    As I walked around the church, I spotted the live hens and the cockerel. As I approached them, they squawked. And this is apparently good luck!

    I sat for a while and had a beer, read the guide for tomorrow and bought some food.

    The day ends with me feeling slightly unwell, contemplating going for dinner or just sitting in the dark hostel room.

    Anyway, till tomorrow!    Weiterlesen

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    Day 17: Castrojeriz a Fromista

    16. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    So I rejoin the trail on day 16. I start later than usual, at around 8.30 in the morning. It will be a struggle to change my sleeping pattern again! I leave Dad after a couple of coffees with him and Tomi and have to walk off into the morning sun. Bittersweet, but I am so glad to have been able to enjoy the time together.

    The day starts and my pace is all wrong, the sun is a little high in the sky, and the first thing I do is climb. Climb past Sandra who spoke to me briefly, climb past many people I don’t recognise. I certainly need to get into my stride again.

    The day is warm and a little breezy. I am into the Meseta, the ‘mind’ portion of the walk. I was expecting arid and dry fields, scorched earth and sunshine. But it’s still early in the year, so the fields are green and there are flowers lining the path. Poppies, cornflowers, daisies. Blue, purple and red.

    I walk to the first pilgrim stop point and I am greeted by a man who is a little surly. He puts me into a weird frame of mind as I walk. Am I doing this pilgrim thing right? Why am I even here? These thoughts circle around in my head as I walk.

    25k unfurls in front of me and I don’t really even notice. I arrive at Fromista, sometime in the afternoon at around 2pm. I check in to my albergue and notice Hodges and Jim, and I am glad to see the familiar faces. We chat about what is coming up tomorrow and our experiences so far, and I feel at ease again.

    Hodges and I share a beer, and he tells me he has yet to have a profound moment. Amy, he tells me, has been in tears over her experience. It makes me reflect on my own and wonder where I sit with it all? It has been very mixed so far, and still a long way to go.

    I have dinner with them both and Scottish Sandra. Castilian garlic soup (not again!) and trout. A glass of wine and try to get some sleep. I am aiming for an early start tomorrow, 5.45, so I can enjoy a little solitude in the morning light.

    We shall see if that actually happens!

    On to the next day.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 18: Fromista a Carrion de Los Camino

    17. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    I’m up at 5.30 - and where is everyone? Tonight is the first night I do not have a reservation anywhere… so I am a little apprehensive. It seems I am not the only one with this idea! The day starts with a short 5k out of the town, and then I am at a fork in the road. Left takes you by the road, right by the river. So I start the day meandering by the river on a slightly longer route.

    The sun rises and it truly is beautiful today - there are birds singing everywhere, and the sound of nature waking up. The sun rises over fields of grain (wheat? Barley? I still don’t know) and the walk by the river is peaceful. I am missing my morning coffee though, and I do not pass any towns on my morning walk. About halfway, I am following two other pilgrims and the signs down the river - but I check the map and I am about 2k off route! I panic slightly and curse the road markings before walking at a brisk pace to rejoin. I get to an Iglesia, Santa Maria in a town called villa Diego but of course nothing is yet open. But thankfully salvation does come in the form of cafe con leche and a racion of tortilla. I feel slightly more alive and continue on the way.

    The day has gone by very fast today, I arrive at my destination at 10.30. I am searching out an albergue where I heard the nuns sing at 5.30 - I make a mistake and almost stay at the monastery. Before I correct my mistake a very grumpy hospitalero tells me they are full anyway. Quite a few surly hospitaleros on the route lately, is it something I said?

    The town looks promising and there are things to do, once I find my albergue for the night I join a queue of bags and wait. And wait. The albergue opens at 12. I’m really glad to be in, showered and resting.

    The town itself is very medieval, with cobbled stones and old buildings flanking either side. There are lots of cafes and shops and things to look at, and it makes a welcome change from the last few towns. I visit the churches and there is an exhibition about the Virgin Mary. I find the way her face is depicted through time fascinating, different ideals of beauty through the ages.

    I try to work to Spanish time and have a couple hours drinking a coffee and having a snack before things reopen. When they do, it’s time for the singing nuns.

    I join the nuns at around 6 - and they have got us all around in a circle. We each give our name and where we are from, and why we are doing the Camino. Someone next to me tells me they are walking the Camino because they have cancer and they want to come to terms with the end. I feel very emotional about this, and when the nuns sing I really do feel like crying. The lead nurse comes around with a small gift of a paper star that they paint every day, and blesses us on the forehead. I am taken aback by their kindness and their sense of peace - I wish I could find that within my own self!

    Dinner tonight is with the lovely Jim, who reminds me a lot of Dad. 68 and a retired police officer, we share stories about our lives and chat over some typical Spanish tapas. Jim isn’t reserving any nights ahead - he is just going with the flow. I want to be more like Jim. He tells me that he loves the flanders poppies that you can see everywhere, and that he will plant some when he gets home. He pays for the whole meal, which was a kindness I was not expecting (In fact I was going to sneak away and do that myself!) We part ways and I feel overcome with emotion, perhaps a long day or perhaps the kindness or perhaps the homesickness.

    Tomorrow another stretch through the fields awaits.

    Goodnight xx    Weiterlesen

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    Day 19: Carrion a Terradillos

    18. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    This morning I managed to figure out how to set an alarm on my watch. Not that it mattered much, as pretty much my entire albergue had evacuated by 5.00 in the morning. I have to say, I awoke with a slightly grumpy disposition and I was feeling less than warm about my fellow humans. I walked out into the cold of the morning at 5.45, looking back for a small candlelight the nuns had promised to light as they prayed for the pilgrims. There it was, and onwards I went.

    The day ahead would be a challenge, with 17km of gravel sendas without any towns, stops or shade.

    As I left the town, I saw a small cafe open and ran inside. Delighted that something was open this early, I had a coffee and was out of the town by 6.00. I walked the first 10km alone, and then stopped when I spotted a caravan selling coffee (!) and I was delighted to have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It was here that I met my German walking companion for the day, whose name I can’t remember (it was very different phonetically to anything I know). We would walk the rest of the day together. I learned he works for Facebook in Frankfurt, used to rap when he was younger and writes fantasy novels. He also just bought his first apartment and was walking the Camino to clear his mind and start a new chapter.

    He was walking with a slight limp, and he was using a long stick as a pole. I slowed my pace significantly to walk with him, but I was glad for the company. The rest of the day was completely flat and across the barren meseta. My friend struggled, but I felt relatively ok. The later the day went on the hotter it got, and I was glad to reach my bed for the day. Sadly, he did not reserve ahead and was turned away. I feel bad about this as I write this, as I so admire his spontaneity - but I find myself booking ahead anyway. Am I missing the point slightly? I hope to meet him again on the route, as we had much in common! But, and I am once again alone and glad for the break.

    There is absolutely nothing to this two horse town, so I shower and do some laundry. I then run into Jim, who has made it all this way today - despite the blisters. The albergue is small and there is no shop in this town, so we sit down to lunch together. He is such easy company, and he offers to buy my lunch. I absolutely refuse, and I get his instead.

    I end up going for dinner with Jim too! There is nothing to do in this town. We talk about his career in the police force and his work as an independent investigator. I am already stuffed, but what is there to do!

    Today I covered 27km, tomorrow another 25km!

    See you in the morning!    Weiterlesen

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    Day 20: Terradillos a Calzadilla

    19. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Last night someone in the albergue had some sort of profoundly distressing nightmare, and was talking and wailing throughout the night. There was coughing, there was snoring, such is albergue life.

    I was up and ready to walk by 5.45, and I made my way out of the albergue. As I turned the first corner I ran into Hodges and his friend Alex, and I walked with them a while. Alex works in Hastings for a zero waste food organisation, and is from Romania. So many interesting people walking this way.

    I walk with them a while but I am craving solitude. After my double dinner and lunch with Jim, I’m ready to walk alone and I head off on my own. A beautiful sunrise today, and I decide this is my favourite part of the day.

    I stop in a lovey little town for coffee. I run into Bernard, and Austrian who is unhappy about the reservation situation. This is very much a Camino topic, the frustration we feel at having to reserve ahead too far or at all. He is planning on buying a mat to sleep on, so that he is able to sleep outside. His main motivation is to feel relaxed and free. I reflect on this as I have also made reservations more often that not. As this is an experience I may not repeat soon, am I ensuring that I get the most out of it?

    I keep going by myself and indulge in a little music. I feel energised by this and get to Sahagun in good spirits. Here I have a coffee and some cake, and officially mark that I am halfway to Santiago! I buy a certificate for 3 euros (It’s on its way to you Chris!) so I am feeling happy. The best part of the day for me so far is before 11 in the morning. This is confirmed when someone runs out onto the street to hand me a small card with a blessing on it. The people of Sahagun are friendly, and I feel confident and like a real pilgrim.

    Once I leave here I walk alone, and I decide to take the older Via Romana route, which is longer and more remote. I figure I might have some time to reflect, and I meet Pien, a woman from the Netherlands who walks with me the whole route to the alternate end point of Calzadilla. I learn she is a recent PHD graduate with a new job and a new husband, she loves her life and feels very blessed. We talk about things we have in common and things we don’t, and the heat of the day doesn’t feel so extreme. It is however over 30 degrees and it is uncomfortable, hot and dusty.

    I arrive at my spot for the night and run into Hodges and my German friend from yesterday. The Albergue here is very nice, and I have an actual bed. No bunk. A bed! And with a TOWEL. I am delighted and I fall asleep for an hour before dinner, which is shared in the company of all I have met in the last few days.

    Tomorrow I walk for 17km with no stop for coffee again, so I am putting my coffee teabags to good use (thanks dad!) and supporting all of the early risers aiming to beat the heat of the day.

    Signing off for now!    Weiterlesen

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    Day 21: Calzadilla a Mansilla

    20. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    It almost feels like I am making these names up!

    Last night, I slept well. In a single bed with 4 other women, only a hint of snoring before sleep. I woke up around 6 and made my way downstairs, I was one of the first out of the albergue. We are nearing the end of the meseta section, and this means that I am getting closer to Leon. I leave in the morning and make my way to the Via Romana, the oldest stretch of extant Roman road. It is a long and straight stretch, and I have over 17km without a stop.

    When I do make a stop to eat some of my picnic, I meet Kolja, the German I had walked with a few days ago and had dinner last night. He is severely limping, but his company is appreciated on the long and straight stretch. He is very funny, and we joke about language differences and music. I share more about my life and childhood, and that brings us closer together. I tell him that I made a spare reservation for an albergue at our final destination, so I will change the name to his so he has somewhere to stay.

    Much of the day passes and again, a blistering heat! The kind that really exhausts you. 26km go by.

    I arrive in Mansilla, physically feeling strong, but the heat is a struggle. I have to wait for my albergue to open so I wander around the town and get a coffee, and do a little drawing. I notice when checking in that I am by far the youngest here by about 50 years! I think most people my age are chancing it and not reserving ahead. I feel bad about this for a while, but again - this is probably something that I just need to accept!

    I explore the town, at the border I find a huge Roman wall surrounding the city, and the air is full of floating white pollen that falls like snow. There are some trees and I go to walk through them and find that there is a river at the edge. There are birds everywhere, and it is a real moment of peace.

    I return from this moment, in which I sat for a while, to meet with Hodges at the apartment that he has rented. There a few pilgrims are gathering to make a communal meal. In the end, this has ended up being one of the nicest evenings for me so far. We eat together and I marvel at how easy it is to make friends in this experience. Everyone is open and willing to share so much more than in my normal life. I talk to Esther about motherhood and regret, Kolja about his blisters and being at the hospital, Jim about needed to take a bus to Sarria potentially, Hodges about getting a pedicure in Leon and Pien about getting the flu.

    I end the evening back in my albergue, surrounded by potential snorers. Today though I feel more gratitude than sadness, for the people and the chance to experience whatever this experience is!

    Tomorrow, I take a bus to Leon. Sue me! I will explore the city and enjoy my lie in. This time, I start the day with other pilgrims and take a more relaxed approach.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 22: Mansilla a Leon

    21. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today I wake up happy. I feel strong and capable. I slept relatively well in my hostel and have a communal breakfast. I find I have to explain why I speak Spanish so well, which at the start made me feel a bit embarrassed. Now I feel grateful that I can communicate with so many! The hospitalero says I speak better Spanish than most in his town! I chuckle.

    Today I take a bus to Leon. I have decided to do this alongside some other weary pilgrims, not because I couldn’t do the walk but because I would love to get some more time to explore Leon. I have noticed over the last few days that I feel much stronger, I have less pain and I am feeling much more joy. I can’t explain what has shifted, perhaps knowing that I am halfway through the experience. At this rate I will arrive in Santiago on the third, and that makes me realise how much fun I have actually had, and how strange it will be when this comes to an end.

    I have now reserved up until the end almost, but a part of me does want to cancel and just go with my flow. There’s still time to decide and after all, this really is a special time.

    I arrive in Leon and it the day is warm, I meet Kolja, Alex, Pien and Jim for a coffee before we all part our separate ways. Jim and I go to explore the town and go to the cathedral together. What a beautiful building. Incredible moment walking around the cathedral with my pilgrim backpack on, wearing the shell! I feel a huge sense of achievement and pride. A feeling I do not often have. It is emotional to know that thousands have felt the same way as me.

    Jim and I finish the tour of the cathedral and I feel weary from being around so many people today. I need some time for rest, but I also feel for Jim. He will be taking the bus to Sarria to complete the last 100km and get his compostela. He is struggling with his feet, but also I think he is struggling in general. He has mentioned a few times how grateful he is for his wife, and I think that feeling is something that has come up from having to experience truly relying on himself. I always felt as if he didn’t really quite know how to be on his own. I think he’s ready to go home. I will miss him truly, as he was a wonderful person. I decide to draw him a poppy as a reminder of his experience and a keepsake, it is unlikely we will see each other again.

    After lunch I take some time for myself, before heading in to experience Leon. I notice almost immediately that almost every pilgrim I have met along the way is here. There is a sense of coming together, I feel grateful for having connected with anyone at all!

    The day ends with dinner and tapas with Nico, Hodges and Jim. I end the night after a few beers and say goodbye. I move on tomorrow, and I will be ahead of everyone here.

    Onwards we go!    Weiterlesen

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    Day 23: Leon to Hospital de Orbigo

    22. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Wow! Spain loves to Fiesta! I arrived last night a little weary from a few cervezas and a full day of company, to the Hostel Covent Garden in Leon for a night sleep. I ran into Lyndall just before I hit the hay, who was on my flight at Gatwick. She was so excited to see me, it was warming. She mentioned that she had also run in to Amy in Leon too.

    As soon as I was in the room I could hear the party raging on the Calle Ancha outside. Like in Logroño, the main theme of the night was bachelorette parties and stag do’a with costumes and beer. The parties went on well into the night and despite being again with no snorers, little sleep was had! In the morning I had a cup of coffee at 5.30 in the hostel after getting dressed and I could still see a few lingering party goers in the streets. I would meet a lot of them as I walked out of Leon.

    The plan today was to walk the scenic, longer route to the end of the stage at mazarife, totalling around 21km. but, I felt strong after my coffee 10km in so I decided to call my albergue and cancel, booking myself a private room further on in hospital de Orbigo. This meant I would walk about 35km today, and the route was once again very straight. One foot in front of the other I kept going the whole day without much to remark. I felt resolutely proud of myself today, and yesterday for that matter, purely because I was meeting more pilgrims who had started in Burgos or in Leon than in SJPDP. That means I have been walking for 23 days, which really is a special thing!

    One more stop for lunch and I am feeling the extra distance at this point. It is always the last 10km that seems to get you! The sun is in full blaze and it is humid, like a storm should break out from the sky at any point. Of course this doesn’t happen and I arrive to Orbigo tired and ready for a rest.

    Perhaps a night in for me?

    I have a dinner by myself at a small restaurant filled with pilgrims. I feel happy having dinner by myself and think that I really should do this at least once a month. And holidays by myself, walks by myself. Really I feel more like I’ve been walking back to comfort with myself every day. I marvel at how far I have come! And how far I still have left to go. Dinner was trout from the river in Orbigo, seafood soup and homemade fruit salad. One thing I haven’t mentioned so far is how delicious the oranges are here - I have started ordering orange juice for breakfast just because I simply can’t not do it.

    I realise also that the next town, Astorga, is about 17km away. I will walk it tomorrow at a leisurely pace and do what I can in the city even though it is a Monday and everything will be closed. I am now sitting in my hotel room eating crisps in bed and watching a movie, although I am so so grateful for the space!

    Goodnight all :)    Weiterlesen

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    Day 24: Hospital de Orbigo a Astorga

    23. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I leave at sunrise around 8.00, it’s later than usual but I only have to cover 17km today. A short day to allow my body some rest and recouping. I’ve booked myself a room at The Descanso de Wendy hotel, which is the last private room I have booked to Santiago, so I’m going to make sure I enjoy the relaxed day. It was a beautiful sunrise, and one of the prettiest walks in a long time today. Gone are the flat fields of the meseta, and here come the mountains and the colours and the variety once again. I feel elated at this, and I really enjoy my walk, savouring every moment as I know that every morning walk is closer to Santiago by the day.

    I feel much gratitude at the ability to walk, at the time I have to enjoy this experience, and the people I have met in my life. I also feel grateful for all of the experiences I have had so far, that allow me to connect with so many people from so many walks of life. I keep walking and thinking about my life, how my days are structured and what I can do when I return. I keep walking for a few Kms before I make a stop at a small campsite with a platter of fresh fruit on offer for a small donation, and many pilgrims huddled around it. I eat some watermelon and chat with Vade, who is 70 and from Germany. He mentions that him and his wife have completed 4 Camino’s, and they are not enjoying this one. Too much like tourism they said, and not an authentic experience. Sometimes it feels like my entire life is composed of missed experiences. Things were better 5, 10, 20, 50 years ago. I can’t connect with the pilgrim experience he mentions, and I do feel sad about this. Maybe there is time in the future to attempt something less transactional, more freeing. For now, I am content in the knowledge that I am capable and strong, no matter what experience I end up having.

    I walk with Max from France who tells me that he is hoping to leave Paris for the mountains for a summer job. He has grown disillusioned with the washing machine of his life (as he says) and wants to find something he really cares about. I agree, but then I also don’t really know what the solution is either…

    I arrive into Astorga and I am unable to check in until 14.00, so I kill some time by buying some more sunglasses (left them in Leon!) and wandering around the cathedral. My Camino friend Kolja asks if I want to make dinner with him at the municipal albergue and I agree, and he makes me a scrambled omelette with vegetables. Vegetables! We then stroll around the town before I leave him to stroll along by myself. I am thankful for my sense of humour, which has allowed us to connect, and I have made many people laugh on this way!

    I eat a mint chocolate chip ice cream by the Gaudi palace before retiring to my sumptuous room. I certainly feel a bit like a cheat in this palatial space, and resolve to counteract it somehow by being more thrifty in another area.

    I do feel like at this point absolutely nothing feels clean. This is also a reality of hand washing for weeks, and I have to accept that I am not as fresh as I would like to be!

    Another day closer to Santiago, but a lovely day. The mountains are waiting for me tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 25: Astorga a Foncebadòn

    24. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    What a contrast my morning and my evening today. I write this from the floor of a chapel in the mountains as I lie on a mat.

    I left Astorga early in the morning at around 7.30. After an amazing night sleep, and a proper breakfast, I headed out late into the day after the sun had risen.

    I set off alone, in the knowledge that I will be walking into the mountains. Apprehensive as always about heading up into the skies, I walked at a brisk pace out of the city and soon found myself surrounded by wonderful nature. Icy forest greens, pines, lavender and yellow against the rich red clay earth, this would be one of the most beautiful days yet. I walk alone as always, and enjoy the feeling of strength and achievement that comes with walking any distance, and soon I am in the mountains.

    The day is peaceful, I run into Kolja at the first stop and we have a coffee, I also meet JP, and Melina and then I head off alone. I also run into JIM. I thought he had left at Leon, but he has decided to continue on. I am happy to see him.

    When I reach my intended destination it is 12, and I am still feeling good. I also feel trusting and happy, and I feel like I could continue. I also know that there are 5km to the next town, and I have only done about 20km today. I’m in a beautiful mountain town called Rabanal del Camino. The terrain has changed completely, now there are stone houses and streets and the landscape is dark green. It is also very cold, the coldest day so far, at only 5 degrees. I decide to continue on, and surrender myself to fate. I walk the next 5km straight up, and even start to feel a bit faint. I reach the beautiful mountain town of Foncebadon, and check the first hostel. Completo, she says. The next the same. I walk up to the parochial albergue and notice a queue of pilgrims. I am already behind a queue of bags too. Does it open soon? No they say, 2.30. Have you tried everything else in town? Yes!

    So I’m in the queue. At this point I am so cold that I take my sleeping bag out of my backpack and wrap it around myself, freezing rain falls. despite this, the pilgrims are happy. I am too? I know that I might not get a bed, and tomorrow is the Cruz de Ferro - An iconic point in the trip so far, this is the last stop on the way.

    Eventually, a super thin Italian sits next to me - his name is Simone. He, I and the rest of the queue are chatting. Finally the hospitalero shows up and tells us there are 18 beds and 8 on the floor. I get a bed, but I am the last. Behind me is a father and daughter, so I give them my bed so they can stay together. I am lucky to have space at all! I am on the floor currently, in a chapel on a mountain. Lucky I met Simone and he is an archaeologist, so I hear stories of Spanish history and architecture.

    The night ends with me next to snoring Jim in a freezing room, perhaps tomorrow the Cruz de Ferro will take on a whole new meaning.

    Wish me luck!    Weiterlesen

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  • Meaghan CurryCamino De SantiagoReisender

    Day 26: Foncebadòn a Ponferrada

    25. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Well, what a freezing cold night that was. On my mat on the floor in a church in the mountains, there was nothing I could do to get warm. Luckily Jim had left a sleeping pill on the mat for me, so I think it took the edge off somewhat. There was a sense of camaraderie to the morning, someone had brought a kettle we all huddled around and I had a coffee. It was so, so cold as I headed out into dawn at the top of the mountains.

    Today was the Cruz de Ferro, an iconic moment in the pilgrimage where you leave a stone to symbolise the leaving behind of the weight you are carrying. I had a small stone Chris and I had collected in London. I walked today with Simone, an Italian archaeologist who was my companion for the Cruz de Ferro at sunrise. He is travelling so light, he wrapped his sleeping bag around his shoulders for warmth. It was bitterly cold, so after leaving the stone and feeling pretty much the same as before, I walked on. I don’t think this was ever a real moment for me but it is an achievement to have made it this far. The walk is beautiful today, cold but as the sun rises the warmth comes. Simone tells me all about the history of Spain, I learn he is very interested in the fall of the Roman Empire in the country. He is a baker by trade, but he has always dreamed of working in a museum as an archaeologist. I said he should be a teacher, as he is very good at explaining things!

    We walk through the mountains and down, down down. I slip! My ankles give away and I hit the dusty path, scraping my knee but my trousers are saved! I am thankful for this. The day is tough down about 25km to the beautiful town of Ponferrada. Simone and I celebrate with a beer and he tells me more archaeological things. I am thankful for company but also feeling very weary, I often end up hiking one on one and this can be challenging! We tour the castle and he tells me fascinating clues to help age certain parts of the building. He concludes that the site may have Templar origins, but the main structure is much later.

    The town is beautiful but I don’t really explore it. I turn down an offer for dinner so I can spend some time in solitude, maybe the pilgrim gods will forgive me? No dinner for me tonight!

    2 more days to Galicia.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 27: Ponferrada a Villafranca

    26. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    A glorious sleep. A beautiful mattress. A blissful morning. In my room last night, a woman was crying. She was 55, and very upset that she couldn’t find a room to reserve for two nights ahead. She told me that this was not the spirit of the Camino, and she couldn’t compete with the young people leaving so early to reserve beds. I feel sad, sad about her situation but also sad about the way that the Camino might be going.

    I leave Ponferrada and meet John, an Australian banker who tells me he never quite figured out what he wanted to do when he grows up. He tells me that we have to accept the world we live in today, And that means accepting the experience at are having. I realise that in many ways this applies to what the woman last night was upset about. Perhaps expectations stop us from enjoying what we have today. I feel grateful that I have reserved some beds, so that I can free up cheaper ones for those that need them more than I do. I walk in alone, and write this as I enjoy a morning coffee.

    I arrive in Villafranca del Bierzo. It’s beautiful here, I walk a stretch with Bernhardt from Austria. But mainly by myself. The town here is of historic significance to the Camino, because many pilgrims received their compostela here if they could go no further. I arrived feeling pretty good, although maybe a bit later. I check into a beautiful hostel with a garden and enjoy a beer and do some drawing.

    I meet Alessandro, Pascuale, Simone and Giovanni (!) a group of Italians for a beer in the square. I enjoy their company and they are very funny, they are all from different parts of Italy so they tell me about how different their accents all are.

    Later I have dinner with a large group of pilgrims, and realise that half the table is German and the other half is Italian! So, after I leave I head to the hostel and prepare myself for sleep.

    The days are more beautiful now but getting tougher with more climbs, I have to prepare for a big day tomorrow.

    Goodnight!    Weiterlesen

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    Day 28: Villafranca a O’Cebreiro

    27. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The mother of all ascents, as my guide book mentioned, was in fact not an over exaggeration as I had thought. What a day today. I left again later than usual as I struggle to get up at 5.30 these days. I get ready and head into the chilly mountain air, and make it about 1km before stopping for coffee. There are 3 different routes today, and I am headed to O’Cebreiro so need to cover 28km and a really steep ascent at the end to climb over 1000m in less than 1km.

    While I enjoy my coffee someone mentions to me I’ve missed the turning for the mountain pass alternative route. I say that I will return to do it, as the main road apparently passes by the road for most of the day. This ended up being a great but extremely challenging day, as the mountain pass took me up 950m and back down again without making much headway in terms of distance. But, the pass was so beautiful. I listened to birds and some music and made my way through the trees and over the stones, thankful for a natural path and a break from walking by roads. When at the top, I stop at a beautiful town where there is a welcoming cafe. I stop there for an hour, very unlike me, but have a coffee and locally made chestnut cake and chestnut liqueur on the house.

    I meet pilgrims and watch them go, and i know most of the people by now. I even meet Pien, from the Netherlands, and we share a hug in the knowledge we might not see each other again.

    When I finally do leave, the day is in full swing and with that comes the heat. With most of the walk to go and a notorious climb at the end, I do not welcome the heatwave Spain is experiencing at the moment. I walk on.

    The walk by the N1, and don’t spot many pilgrims. I figure I am behind. I keep walking through the sun and don’t stop. Applying as much sunscreen as I can. Somehow I make it to Las Herrerias, the town at the base of the mountain. It is 1.30 in the afternoon, and I drink some water and eat my sandwich to give me strength.

    And then the climb! My legs tired but capable, the heat suffocating. Climbing in the blaring sun is another experience altogether. I pass a few struggling pilgrims and we wave to each other. I keep going and I try to medicate through the experience. Breathe in, breathe out. I make it to the town before and decide to stop for a beer. Here I sit next to a delightful woman in her 60s and her Camino friend, a Dutch woman in her 50s. They show me so much kindness! They fill up my water and give me some trail mix, they give me the strength to carry on.

    I make it finally to Galicia, I cross the border in the mountains and continue another km to O’Cebreiro. A beautiful, ancient town set into the hills. Icy coloured stone and green trees, panoramic views of the valley on either side stretching as far as you can see. I check in and the usual ritual of shower, laundry and unpack. I head into town for food, and enjoy some Caldo Gallego.

    I decide to attend pilgrims mass, which I have not done before. I am not religious, but I have heard that it is a special ceremony. I accidentally raise my hand in the sermon when the priests mentions English, thinking he was handing out translations. Nope! I end up delivering the Sermon in English for a room full of peasants. The priest brings people from every language, but English has the most to read. Nerve wracking! I abstain from eating the body of Christ, but I do think it is a beautiful ceremony even though I am not religious. I leave feeling slightly odd, but at peace.

    I enjoy a wonderful glass of wine in the company of Fabian from the Netherlands and Anna from Germany. We watch the sunset together, over the valley. I feel very content.

    A nights sleep is welcome, but not easy to fall asleep. I blame the wine. A short day tomorrow means a relaxed start, and perhaps even breakfast in the valley.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 29: O’Cebreiro a La Balsa

    28. Mai 2022 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    O’Cebreiro was a magical place to start the day. Although I had hoped to get up earlier, I found myself leaving at 7 and enjoying a breakfast in one of the traditional Galician huts in the town. It is lovely to be in this part of the country, and although there is a steep climb to get started with, the rest of the day is all downhill through fields and forest, chestnut trees and oak. Truly beautiful and peaceful as I walk through the countryside.

    The views from the mountain are panoramic to either side, and I descend down for the next couple of hours. I stop a few times for water or coffee or tortilla, but my stomach is bothering me today so I’m looking forward to arriving at my destination.

    I decide however last minute to change my plans and stay at a town at the base of two alternate paths. I now think I will take the longer route tomorrow to enjoy the cultural town of Samsol, so I park myself at the hostel in Triacastela - I’ve walked 22km today.

    Laundry, shower, and a call to Chris as it is his birthday today! Feeling slightly out of sorts, I spend a few hours reclined in the shade in my room, ensuring that I don’t over exert myself in the heat of the day.

    I enjoy a beer with Kendall from Texas. She is walking alone, and I met her yesterday at the church where I read the sermon. She is diabetic, we talk about the challenges she has faced and what she has overcome to be here. I ask her about life in Dallas and she tells me about her last boyfriend, who is now no longer her boyfriend, who is part of a large political family. I find it fascinating, she tells me that in this kind of circle, appearance is everything. She was involved in her boyfriends fathers political campaigning, and was engaged to be married. She had to meet with his family’s political advisor to be briefed on how she could be in public. Then, out of nowhere her boyfriend left her and went to Mexico for a month with someone else. I think he was suffocated by his family, and the expectations they and he placed on himself. She mentioned that her worth had become so wrapped up in his life, that she felt profoundly lost when he left. I thought how stifling this all sounded, and was grateful for my life and the people around me, as well as my outlook.

    We make plans for dinner, and I head back to the hostel. The day feels long today.

    Kendall never messages me back, so I wander around the town and by the stream. I eat a sandwich in the hostel and then decide to head to the local bar, where I run into some people I met a few days ago. I join them to watch the match, Liverpool vs. Real Madrid. I have a beer and some croquetas. I feel a bit out of sorts, perhaps a bit lost in the sea of people who know each other. I try to accept this and move past it, in the knowledge that tomorrow is another day.

    Goodnight everyone :)    Weiterlesen

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