San Miguel de Aralar
9 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
What a day. First, breakfast made by the wonderful Pilar. She insisted on giving me a sandwich for the road, along with three really yummy homemade granola bars. As I started out, it was hazy, chilly, with the mountains on both sides. Pretty close to a perfect morning.
I passed through several villages, 2 or 3 km apart from each other. All of them had some 18th century caseríos, many beautifully restored with their coats of arms and flower pots filled with red and pink flowers. And two very old bridges.
But I knew it was going to be a hot day.
The priest in the monastery had told me I could leave some of my backpack contents there during the day, to make my walk up to San Miguel easier. That was a great benefit.
It was a rough climb, but not absurdly hard. The cafeteria at the church was closed today, which I think kept the visitors down. The church was open, however, and I was in it all by myself. There is an enamel and gold altarpiece that is really unbelievable. It is the same kind of workmanship as a little box that I remember seeing in León in the museum of San Isidoro. But that was a tiny box, and this is an enormous altarpiece, with Mary in the middle and lots of Saints and angels around. It was just spectacular. And real candles too! So I was able to sit and think about a lot of things and a lot of people.
The story of the miracle that happened at this site is really over the top. Rather than repeated here, I have attached a picture of the tail. And a picture of the chains, which are still here.
Rather than take the straight way back, I decided to follow some tracks I had that go to several dolmens. It’s kind of hard to conceive of what it means that these things were made 6000 or 7000 years ago. I saw four of them, each one a little different — different sizes, different shapes, different underground spaces, but each one had one of those enormous slabs on the top. How in the world did they get them up there?
Though the dolmens were extremely fun to see, the trail itself was, shall I say, a challenge. It took me a long time to find my way, because there were very many sections of total overgrowth. Lots of sections across rocky outcrops that would have given someone with vertigo pause. But I made it, very slowly, and by 4:30 (yes that’s 9 1/2 hours after I started out!), I was sitting in front of a monastery, waiting for someone to come let me in.
I have a very nice room in the monastery, and I am now going to figure out my plan for tomorrow. It’s going to be very hot, so the one sure thing is that I will be on the road very early.
My tracks: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/hiriberri…Leggi altro
First day on the Camino Viejo
8 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Last night looking at my options, I knew I had to make a choice. Either I would go to the Balcón de Los Buitres (balcony of the vultures) and sleep in Irurtzún, or I would skip the vultures and continue on further to Hiriberri so that I could visit the church of San Miguel de Aralar the next day. So since I had been up on cliffs with lots of raptors just two days ago, I decided to forgo the vultures. I know now that a 38 km day is no longer in my comfort zone — there’s a big difference between a challenging walk and one that’s just too hard!
That meant I walked 31 km to Hiriberri, and that was plenty.
The first day of the Camino Viejo was a bit underwhelming. Almost the entire way to Irurtzún was on a path that ran very close to one highway or another. Since today is Sunday, there were lots of cyclists out, and I almost got wiped out by two of them. But it was fun to see lots of people out and about, both walking and on bikes.
The Santiago church was one of the highlights, closed as I had assumed, but very pretty.
I am in a casa rural owned by Pilar. She has four rooms for rent upstairs and lives downstairs. She does not advertise, she is not on booking, yet she fills up during the months of July and August. She’s right in the middle of this valley, with mountains on both sides, and people in this part of the country really do a lot of hiking.
Soon after I showered and washed my clothes, I read my email and learned that Juanma, a good camino friend, was in the vicinity. We met at the church and brought each other up to date with our lives . I remembered that he had been the one to suggest Las Trillas for a meal when Clare and I met up with him last year in Burgos. It was thanks to him that I learned that morcilla is indeed delicious.
Thankfully, Pilar is making me supper, because this village has no café, no bar, no restaurant.Leggi altro

ViaggiatorePhotos of the handrails on pedestrian overpasses always give me such a strong sense of being in Spain, on the Camino, watching the world go by, and making my way to the day's destination!
Puente la Reina to Pamplona
6 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
This was a walk against the flow or “backwards.” Not terribly long, but the ascent to the Alta de Perdón from this side is much worse.
The walk was very pleasant, through a few little Basque towns, lots of spots with beautiful wide open views, and one rocky climb up to the famous Pilgrim cut-outs at the Alto de perdón. The Navarran government has put a Civil War memorial up near the top, another sober reminder of how many innocent people were killed.
Since we were walking in the “wrong direction,” we had a few fun exchanges about who was going the wrong way, and at one point, we met a guy carrying a guitar. Alun asked him if he would play something, and he just sat down and took out his guitar and played us a Joni Mitchell tune.
At that point, we were very close to the spot where Dana and I had met our first flasher. It was our first Camino, in the year 2000, and coming down from the Alto de Perdón, a guy popped out of the bushes. I remember that we screamed and ran down the rocky path, which gave us terrible blisters only four days out of our starting point. Since then, I’ve had a number of other incidents, but this one remains very clear in my memory.
We got to Pamplona around 1:30, so I had time to wash my clothes, take a shower, have an agua con gás in the plaza, and buy some yogurt and fruit for the next day or two.
I learned about a Basque sweet that was made famous by the Dolores Redondo trilogy, in which a bakery plays a prominent part. The Txantxigorri is a pastry made with pork fat. Olga bought one when she met us at a coffee stop, and I have to say it was quite delicious.
I had really wanted to go back to the Museo de Navarra, and luckily, it was open in the afternoon. Promptly at 5 o’clock, I was there to revisit some of my favorite exhibits. Unfortunately, the museum was undergoing renovations, so my very favorite room was off-limits. I was quite impressed, however, by the Iron Age estela from the 4th century BC. But I didn’t want to spend too long there anyway, because this was goodbye to Alun and Olga.
We walked around the center, which was unbelievably crowded and filled with people enjoying themselves. After a couple of really good pintxos, they walked me back to the hotel, and we said goodbye.
I am very sad to see them go, but excited that tomorrow I will start the Camino Viejo.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreI was wondering how those rocks would be going in the uphill direction. Grf. But guitarist versus flasher makes up for a lot. And I can't wait to read about the Viejo for real, as opposed to virtually!
Monreal to Puente la Reina
6 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Yes, I can tell that the years are taking a toll. Today’s walk was about 34 km, but with not more than 300 m elevation. I won’t say I was wiped out, but I was tired.
This was the first day on this camino that I actually walked with someone almost all the way. Alun and I had not seen each other in two years, so there was a lot of catching up to do. And I’m sure many of my Peregrino friends have had the experience of blab blab blabbing along, and then realizing that you missed a perfectly well marked turn.
We unintentionally started our walk along the Canal of Navarra. It was flatter than going up and down through the little towns, but much less interesting and sunnier. So we corrected course and headed up for the hills, and the route took us through a few small villages, narrow forest paths, and some wide open fields. The temperature was a little warm, but it was a great walking day.
Olga met us for cold drinks in Tiebas, and again at Eunate. The last time I had been to Eunate, it had been closed. So I was very happy to get a visit inside.
Olga and Alun are staying in Puente La Reina, and I am in the town of Obanos, about 3 km closer to Pamplona, which is where we will walk against the flow tomorrow.
But I couldn’t imagine walking the Aragonés without going to Puente La Reina, so I dropped my pack, took a shower, and washed my clothes in my little casa rural in Obanos. Then I took the 40 minute walk into Puente La Reina, both to see my buddies and also to enjoy the little town, aka Pilgrim Central.
The number of pilgrims is about half of what it was last month.
I have walked back to Obanos, adding a few more kms to my total, but tomorrow there will be fewer into Pamplona.Leggi altro

Viaggiatore
Beautiful! Those smiles are much less crazy the the ones at the top of those Eunate capitals. So very cool that you managed to get inside.
Short day to Monreal
5 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Today’s walk from Lumbier was only 3 km shorter and had only 200 m less elevation than yesterday‘s, but it was a walk in the park in comparison. I left more than an hour later than yesterday, sat on a bench outside a church for about a half an hour, and I still arrived three hours earlier than I did yesterday.
About 7 km after starting, I came to a marker “Fosa de Loiti”, the site of a pit where approximately 70 bodies had been thrown during the Spanish Civil War. All were people living in the area who had been rounded up because of their political or labor activities. A sign said: “Loiti, clandestine cemetery .” While I sat in front of a very plain, somber marker, I read online that this is one of approximately 300 similar sites, just in this region of Spain alone —Navarra.
The walk was mainly off-road with some stretches along the side of untraveled roads. Several small villages along the way, each with its little church. Lots of grain fields, a surprising number of medieval bridges, and occasional flocks of sheep.
I am in a small town tonight, Monreal. My very dear Camino, buddy Alun and his pareja Olga, have driven up from Madrid, and we just had a very long pizza dinner in the only place in town.
Alun and I will walk for two days, and Olga (the one with the car) will join us in the evening. She offered to take my backpack, and I thought about it, but ultimately decided to just keep on lugging my own stuff.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreWhat is it about keeping our packs, even if there’s an offer on the plate to carry a lighter load for a couple of days? I shipped my pack for ONE day on my first Camino just to see what it felt like like, and I didn’t like it - felt like I was missing something important - pack-weighted hole, an extension of me...
Monastery to Lumbier- hard but wow!
4 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
25 km and 550 m elevation, what could be so hard about that? I left the monastery at 7:15 in the morning and arrived at my hotel around 4:30. I think this is the hardest day I have ever walked. But so worth it.
Padre Ramón sent me off with a blessing and told me to come back. The first 7 or 8 km were great – wide tracks, great views, gentle ascents. And then it changed. I knew that I was going to be walking up on the cliffs. I knew it was going to be hard. It was harder than I expected, that’s for sure.
There were so many steep rocky ups and downs that I lost track. I must’ve shortened and lengthened my polls at least 30 times today. There were three or four spots where I had to take off my pack and hoist it up onto a rock above me and then figure out how to get my body up there. Clare, I needed you! Then there was a short stretch with a chain that I had to pull myself up with. After the first step, I just stood there and couldn’t figure out what to do. But then I studied the rocks, readjusted my feet, and up I went. Very slowly, but with continuous movement.
This route took me on the cliffs where there were raptors aplenty. Two “ojos” (eroded holes in the rocks) were highlights. I had a good rest at one of them, chatting with a bunch of Spaniards who were going in the opposite direction.
After successfully navigating the chain, I somehow lost the trail. My wikiloc tracks will give you a chuckle. My strategy when this happens is to go back to the point where I knew I was right and try again. Three or four attempts, and I was finally on the right path. The long descent down to the river was hard, but the real challenges were over.
When I got to the bottom, I was in the town where I plan to spend the night, but I had not yet walked through the Foz (gorge?) that extends for about one and a half kilometers. So I got to see it twice, once in each direction. I have walked through a fair number of gorges on different Caminos, but I can’t think of any that was more spectacular than this one. Lots of raptors flying around, imposing, multicolored cliffs, really awesome.
When I emerged at the parking lot, I was delighted to see that my hotel was only about 2 km away. I was dragging by the time I got here, but after a good shower and washing my clothes, I felt re-energized. A short trip up to the center of town to get some fruit and nuts, and now I am sitting outside and have just ordered stuffed eggplant, sea bass, and chocolate soufflé with cherry ice cream. I need the calories, don’t I?!Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreWhat an amazing day! I love that gorge, but you got even more amazingness! I'm glad that you were able to get into Hotel Iru-bide. I liked it there. I had had a big lunch the day I was there, so I only had the eggplant for dinner. Funnily, I'm in Caldas de Reis tonight and had an eggplant dish, but no where near as good as the one at Iru-bide.

Laurie ReynoldsSo not only do they have the same cooks, it seems they have the same menu! Why give up on a good thing. At first, I was a little put off when they told me that the fish would be served whole, but I decided to go for it. It made for a much longer dinner hour!
To the Monasterio de Leyre
3–8 giu 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Great day, except for the livestock blocking the narrow path I was walking on my way to the Paso Del Oso, which I never got to. But oh well.
I left Javier at around seven in the morning and by 10 I was up at the monastery. It was a very pretty off-road walk, turning a 8 km drive into a 12 km walk. But I was very happy to be off the roads and in the forest. When I arrived at the monastery, I decided I still had plenty of energy and could follow the tracks to the Paso Del Oso, a high point about 4 km straight up from the monastery. It was rocky and steep, but I was feeling fine. Unfortunately, about halfway up, a bunch of livestock appeared in front of me. There were a lot of of them, and I just couldn’t figure out how to get around them. Not only that, if I got around them on the way up, I would have to get around them again on the way down. So I turned around, a bit disappointed, but I had enjoyed great views of the aquamarine reservoir below.
When I was about a kilometer away from the monastery, there was a short intense rain. Just enough to soak my shoes. When I got back down, at around 1 o’clock, I decided to visit the crypt and the church. I had been there before, but not since 1995. I still had a very clear memory of both places. I especially remember hearing Vespers chanted in the 11th century Romanesque Church, and noticing how the barrel vault arches were uneven and not symmetrical. But as imperfect as they were, I thought they were beautiful — not over the top or gaudily decorated, just simple barrel vaults, hanging high up there in tact after all these centuries. And today they look just as they did all those years ago.
I had lunch in the cafetería, and then took another shorter walk up to the site of the miraculous fountain of San Virila. He was the abbott of the monastery in the 900s and was having a crisis of faith. One hot summer afternoon, he fell asleep by the fountain. When he woke and went back to the monastery, no one knew who he was. 300 years had passed. A dove appeared with the Abbott’s ring and put it on Virila’s finger. Records of the monastery confirmed that he had been the Abbott in the 900s. Crisis of faith averted, and he was canonized.
At 4:00, I went to the reception desk of the monastery (Benedictine). Padre Ramón was expecting me, and took me around to a non-cloistered room. Bunkbed, bathroom, showers, table, outlet for charging phone, no more necessary. The padre will leave me dinner and breakfast. All for a donativo.
Vespers tonight. I remember going with my kids in 1995. They were gobsmacked and my 11 yo son wanted to go back for compline. I don’t think he’s ever asked to go to the church before or since.Leggi altro

Laurie ReynoldsYes, this front part of the church this is from the 11th century. I just love it.
Plan B for the day
2 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Lots of rain, thunder, and lightning, from late afternoon yesterday in Ruesta and almost nonstop until I arrived in Javier/Xavier after 18 km (and about 400 m) of either walking in mud or in streams of water. But once you are totally wet, you don’t get any wetter.
I slept really well, and didn’t even hear the French woman who gets up to walk every morning at four. Don’t ask me why. At 6, someone’s alarm went off, and after coffee in the common area, three of us set out together at 7. It was nice having company for the first 11 km, where the Camino split off from the road to the Javier castle. My hotel is right across from the castle, and the people are so nice. Family owned and family run. Even though it was only 1130, I was up in my room in no time.
Everything was soaked, and I rejoiced in my private room with bath. Albergues on rainy days are quite the challenge. When I went to charge my phone, a notice popped up, saying that the connection was wet. And that it couldn’t be charged. That freaked me out, but within a couple of hours it was fine and has recharged.
The rain stopped while I went to visit the castle, which is the birthplace of Saint Francis Xavier, founder of the Jesuits. Supposedly born inside the castle. There is now a basilica built into the wall of the castle, and every year there is a pilgrimage (the Javierada) with 5-7,000 people arriving on foot. I didn’t know that St. Francis spent the last 11 years of his life as a missionary in Japan, China, and India. He died and is buried in Goa. While I was visiting the castle, a group of Japanese tourists came through and they explained that this was a very important visit for Japanese Catholics.
After my castle visit, I pivoted to Plan B. I had hoped to walk a 12 km loop to a spot called Peña del Adiós. But the rain started and stopped several times while I was getting my wikiloc tracks downloaded on my phone. The forecast is for rain all afternoon, though I’m sure it won’t be continuous. The woman in the hotel knows the trail and says it will be pure mud and flooded in many spots. She suggested I walk down to the pueblo, where there is a canal walk with a gravel path that extends for several kilometers out into the forest.
I had a great goat cheese salad in the hotel restaurant, took a long walk on the canal and around town, and I have just stuffed my shoes with newspaper on the hope that they will be a little drier in the morning. I’m not going to look at the weather forecast, but I will send lots of strong cyber hopes for decent weather.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreMy oh my …. But you are a trooper.! 🚶🏻♀️👣🚶🏻♀️👣You’ll sleep well again hopefully and more cyber hopes from me too, for no rain tomorrow. Your time now to relax Laurie. 😴
Anarchism is alive and well
1 giugno 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
I woke up this morning to see that one weather app predicted 90% chance of rain in the morning, and the other had a low prediction of rain starting at 8 PM. And in the distance, I heard thunder.
But the rain held off. It was a pretty flat walk, with no more than 300 m elevation spread over 28 km. Just one stiff up and down to a Hill town in the middle of the stage. It was very humid, but thankfully the sun was behind a lot of cloud cover, because there was very little shade.
I’m in an albergue in the town of Ruesta. Or better said, the ruins of a town. When the Río Aragón was dammed to make a big reservoir, this was one of the several towns expropriated. But after all the residents had been relocated, the plans apparently changed, because the water does not reach up this far.
The Camino had to be rerouted when the reservoir was built, and this empty town became the perfect spot for an albergue. The government turned it over to the.CGT, an anarchist workers’ union. They reformed a few of the houses for the albergue and restaurant, but the rest is just falling down. I walked up to the 11th century tower, where the Moors were beaten back.There’s a nice view of the reservoir from that spot, and a good vantage point to see all the ruins of what used to be a lively village.
The albergue is the only game in town, so here I am. I’m in a room with one French woman, two Spanish men, and a French man. Two of the three men tell me they snore a lot. I guess I will try the earplugs, but I am resigned to a long night of little sleep.
The food is surprisingly good in the restaurant, and I have had a big three course meal.
There are three other rooms filled with pilgrims, but I am the only English speaker. Lots of French and Spanish, and one Argentine guy who works in Spain.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreGosh this camino looks so beautiful! (And I'll take anarchy over some of the other things floating around right now, especially of it looks anything like what they're doing in Ruesta. (How's your new pack holding out, Laurie? Do you notice any difference from the old one?)

Laurie ReynoldsWhat I notice most is how easily the zipper works, and how the side pockets are tighter and actually hold the water bottle in place. But the rest is exactly the same, I love it.
Short day to Arres
31 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The typical Spanish breakfast underwent a sea change about 15 years ago. Tostada, toasted bread, is still the most common food item. They still serve it with butter and jam, but olive oil and chopped tomatoes is almost always on offer. The puréed sauce I had this morning was delicious. For years, pan con tomate has been a staple Catalán breakfast, but it has spread nationwide and is very delicious. It is even more delicious when there’s a piece of good jamón serrano on top.
It was hot today, but there were a couple of bars open for cold drinks. The bars had lots of people this morning because there was a cyclist ride through the mountains — 3000 cyclists riding 150 km from Huesca and back. Some of the guests at my little hotel last night were put off, because they would not be able to get on the road for several hours in the morning. But it didn’t affect the two walking pilgrims. We didn’t walk on the road where the race took place, but we frequently crossed it and sometimes could see it from above. They shouted Buen Camino to me when we coincided, and I shouted “ánimo” back to them.
No matter how short the day, if it’s hot at the end and there’s a climb, I’m going to feel it. Walking into the little bar in this cute hillside town felt almost as good as walking into the restaurant yesterday after one of the hardest walks I’ve ever done!
There is a very iconic albergue in this town, and I got my sello. This was changeover day so there were 4 hospitaleros and 4 people sleeping there. I joined in for the tour of the church, which has a very rare 16C baptismal font — square!
I slept in the albergue about eight years ago and very much enjoyed the hospitality and the camaraderie, but when I hit 70, I decided it was time to leave the albergues to the next generation. But all of us who walk owe a great debt to the organization that runs this albergue, HOSVOL. They are dedicated volunteers who fight to preserve the best of the camino. If I can stay awake for two more hours, I will go to watch the sunset with all of them.
Tomorrow’s forecast says rain, but not till noon. I’ll have to walk early.Leggi altro

Viaggiatore
Love the statue of Santiago, almost as tall as the tree. He's like an old friend waiting for you whenever you see him in a new village.

ViaggiatoreThe couple who run the Casa Rural in Arrés have an asparagus farm, too. Hope you were able to enjoy that if you wanted.

ViaggiatoreI have wonderfull memories of the Arrés albergue when I walked the Aragonés in 2011, the hospitality was fantastic. 💕
Good night
30 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
View from my balcony.
Jaca to Santa Cruz through Atarés
30 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
One of my hardest walking days ever. I left Jaca at 6:30 and got to my little hotel in Santa Cruz at about 3:30. I spent a good two hours at the monastery, getting an ice cold Aquarius in the new monastery, and then gawking and admiring the old monastery. When I picked up my backpack at the ticket office to start walking again, the two staff wanted to ask me what life under Trump was like. That led to a half hour of animated discussion, disbelief, and commiseration.
I did finally leave the monastery at about two. It took me an hour and a half to walk 4 km. It was steep, and Rocky, though not dangerous. I just went slowly. But I was wiped out when I got here. The restaurant was closing and they would squeeze me in, but the thought of eating a meal in my stinky sweaty clothes without a shower was more than I could bear.
But in addition to being one of the hardest days, it was also one of the most beautiful. Views of what’s left of snow in the Pyrenees, lots of shade in the forests, lots of babbling streams, but the trail was very tough. Not so much for its steepness, though it was steep, as for all the rocks and the erosion made by torrential rains this winter. Lots of “ hopping“ across streams on slippery rocks, which more often than not wound up with me getting one or both feet in the water. But I am not complaining, it was glorious.
In Atarés, more or less the halfway point, as I was checking my phone to see what a Forum friend had recommended I do when I got to a river crossing, all of a sudden my phone went berserk. My wikiloc tracks disappeared, and somehow I called the facility where Joe is living. I had a moment of panic until I realized that I was the one who had made the call, and they were not calling me. I had a nice little chat with the nurse who said all is well, and on I went.
I was really dreading the rocky descents, but yesterday in a WhatsApp with a forum member who is a few days ahead of me, he mentioned how he uses a patella strap under his kneecap. The last time I had bad knee troubles, I used a compression knee brace, but it didn’t help and I think made things worse. So last night I ran to the pharmacy and bought one, and Eureka! My wonky knee is in good shape even after so many rocky and steeply descending kilometers.
Tomorrow I have a very short day, about 16 or 17 km, so I am going to stay and have breakfast in the hotel at eight, and start walking around nine. Unheard of for me. The temperatures are supposed to be in the high 30s/low 90s, so a late start might not make much sense. But the idea of sleeping in and having a real breakfast is too good to pass up right now!
The little town that I’m in, Santa Cruz de la Serós, is the site of a convent that was affiliated with the monastery up in the mountains. Since it’s a horribly rocky four kilometer path between these two places, I’m not sure how much contact they actually had. But Santa Cruz has its own beauty of a Roman church and is perfectly situated with mountains on several sides.
I am soaking my feet in the river, and will stay up past my usual bedtime, because the restaurant in the hotel doesn’t open until 8:30.
My wikiloc tracks are in two separate pieces, but the total is about 25 km with 1000 m up and 1000 m down.
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/catedral-…
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/atares-mo…Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreIt looks absolutely glorious. And where you are right now at Santa Cruz? Wow. It has its own amazing beauty. So glad the lnee strap worked - I need to check such things out.

Laurie ReynoldsI think the pharmacist’s go-to recommendation is the rodillera. I don’t really understand how they operate differently, and it may of course depend on what the knee pain is caused by, but I would definitely try the strap.
Into Jaca
29 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
25 km with almost nothing but descents— awful for my knees!
There were some beautiful parts, some so-so parts, and some sunny and kind of barren parts. Basically the camino follows the river and meanders up and around to a couple of cute towns. I’m in the very pretty little town of Jaca, with its cathedral, Vauban fort, and a couple of Romanesque churches.
I had a weird encounter when I was walking through a wooded section with lots of criss-crossing hiking and biking trails. A cyclist came up a hill towards me, and when we were about a block away, he got off his bike and started tinkering around with his gears. Then he pulled his bike over to the side of the trail and flipped it so that it was perpendicular to me and the trail. I thought that was kind of weird, and when his hand went to the waistband of his cycling shorts, I said in a loud voice: “que sepas que voy a gritar.” (Just so you know, I’m going to shout/scream.). He hopped on his bike and off he went! This has happened to me 6-8 times on Caminos over the years, but this was the first time I was able to stop it from happening!
Then, just a few kilometers further on, a man was just standing on the side of the trail. I thought it was a really bad luck day for me. But when I got closer, I saw he had an apple in his mouth, a water bottle in one hand, and a phone in the other. I felt pretty confident that I didn’t need to shout.
We’re starting a three day heat wave, so I will be leaving early tomorrow.
My tracks for the day:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/canfranc-…Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreLet's hope you don't get any more of these weird encounters, Laurie 😟

ViaggiatoreUmmmm...you didn't need that weirdness. May _that_ not happen again! But your photos look glorious. The so-so and kinda barren parts: were they just suffering by comparison?
A beautiful walk into Spain!
28 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
I am so ecstatic and very relieved to write that I made it and loved it, landslides and all. I left at 6:30, and at 11, I was in Spain. For me, the much harder part was the descent to Canfranc Estación. All downhill, half as many kms, and it took me more,than two hours. I have to be really careful with my knees, stepping sideways most of the time. I go very slowly.
The walk was glorious. Cool and sunny, what could be better than that! The ascent was steady, but not so steep that it felt like climbing stairs. Just a good continuous ascent. The path goes through lots of old farmsteads, which are now abandoned, through lots of forest, and when you break out into a meadow— there are the Pyrenees right in front of you!
Until about a week ago, the recommendation was to take the first five kilometers along the road, because of landslide damage. The damage is still there, but a Camino Angel has painted green blazes on the rocks to take you through the most manageable parts. It was very slow going for me, even though someone who had gone through a week before said it was “very easy.” I’m guessing he wasn’t in his 70s. But I didn’t fall, or have any bad slips, so I was feeling good.
When I got to one of the meadows before the pass, I saw a man poking around in the grass with a stick. We said buenos días (even though I was still in France), and it turns out he lives nearby and comes to this area to hunt for setas (wild mushrooms, which I love). He explained how he finds them—it involves finding a spot with a slight ridge that allows the grass to grow high, and the setas will be hiding underneath. He told me that his nose is so well trained that he can smell them now, but it is definitely at the end of the season so he didn’t have any to show me.
At the Spanish border, I did meet another peregrino. He has been walking for weeks and says there are never more than two or three others at the albergues. So I don’t expect to find too many more.
Confession time- I had decided that if I arrived late in the day at Canfranc Estación, I would just go to one of the hotels in town. But that if I arrived early enough, I would see what the rates were at the fancy place in the old train station. My starting point in these situations is the price we paid two years ago in high summer season at a Best Western on the interstate near Aspen. Our flight to Denver had been delayed, we couldn’t make it to our vacation rental, and we were lucky to find a place to sleep. I thought the price was highway robbery, so if I come across an exceptional place in that same price range, I figure it’s a bargain. So in I went. It is a very beautiful place in the restored train station.
The food in their café (not their 1* Michelin restaurant) is fine and reasonably priced. I’ve had ice delivered to my room for my knees, I’ve wrung out my clothes in the thickest towels I’ve ever had on the Camino, so I am in pretty good shape.
The station itself has a very interesting history. It was started in the mid 1800s, with the idea of opening the border with France. France, however, was not interested. But finally in the early 1900s, a treaty was signed with France to make the tunnel and the connection happen. But then came the first world war, and then came the Spanish Civil War.
When Lee and I walked the Aragonés, more than a decade ago, the station was in total ruins. We were able to walk all around and poke into different nooks and crannies. It was kind of creepy. We learned that several years earlier, a French taxi driver, who was obsessed with this station, had found a huge cache of documents, corroborating the then rumor that this had been the way in which Germans had sent through tons and tons of gold seized from the Jews. From there, the gold made it to the marketplace, where it bought arms for the Germans, thanks to Franco’s help. And here it is today, a fancy hotel.
Here are wikiloc tracks for the day:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/urdos-to-…Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreStunning scenery Laurie. We did a side trip to Canfranc last year and mooched around the old station.

Viaggiatore
Wow! What a beautiful day. Much nicer than when I walked down from Somport.
Another travel day
27 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
One more day before I will finally start to walk. I don’t think I’ve ever taken this long to get to my starting point!
Today started with a bus ride to Jaca. Two more bus rides to get (FINALLY) to Urdos. I went to the tourist office to check up on the schedule for the second bus to France. She told me that I would have a two hour wait in Canfranc station and not get to France until after five. A friend from the forum had told me about a good Taxi, so I sent a WhatsApp and got a reasonable quote.
I have wanted to visit the Art Museum in the Cathedral since I last walked through Jaca and had found it closed for a holiday. Like the museum in Barcelona, it houses Romanesque frescoes from several rural churches. This involved the “strappo” technique— if I understood the information panels correctly, some kind of dampened linen was spread over the painting, and then somehow they lift it up, move it, and reapply it to the new wall. This sounds very complicated.
Even though I will be back here in a few days, I decided to seize the opportunity and visit the museum. There were some amazing frescoes One originally had four rows of paintings on the church walls, depicting the life of Christ in chronological order. There were also some beautiful Romanesque virgins with child.
I arrived in the small town of Urdos, which now has two closed hotels and one small open hotel. There is also a pilgrims’ Albergue, but I opted for the hotel. I did get my first stamp, and also met the man who runs the the pilgrims’ gite, along with the man who is taking it upon himself to remark the route after last year’s landslides. They tell me it is all walkable now, no need to take a detour on the extremely narrow road. For that, I am very grateful.
I am a bit nervous about tomorrow, to tell the truth. It probably wasn’t the best idea to have such a rough day on the first day of walking, but I really wanted to “cross the Pyrenees” (ok, I know that’s hyperbolic). The sign says it’s four hours 20 minutes and 12.5 km to the mountain pass at the border. What they don’t tell you is that it’s also 1000 m up! I doubt I will get there in four hours and 20 minutes, but I’m not in a rush. A Forum friend who just walked this route a few days ago told me that I would want to stop to take a picture every few steps anyway. Looks like good weather, fingers crossed.Leggi altro

mary louise adamsGorgeous skies! And a day on the Voie d’Arles! It’s been on my list since we walked with Michel! I think he walked it the year before we met him. Maybe just retired?

Dana DaviesHOW do you remember that?! And hello, Mary Louise - it's been almost 25 years and I certainly remember you (and Michel.) Laurie told me about your walk in Scotland - it looked gorgeous.
Day of errands
26 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
The historic center of Zaragoza, like most Spanish cities, is defined by narrow maze-like streets. It’s always fun to see that the journey between two places on Google maps is much shorter for walkers than for cars.
Errands usually require going out into the more modern parts. I plotted out a route that included the post office, the Vodafone store (SIM card for cell phone), groceries, and a pharmacy. Not only did I need to buy my favorite sunscreen, which is only sold in pharmacies, but I realized this morning that I had left my thyroid medication at home. The trips to the post office, grocery, and the Vodafone store were fun and uneventful. But the Pharmacy…
In days gone by, I could always get prescription drugs without a prescription. I never asked for anything outrageous, and I’m sure the pharmacist just believed my story. But this year, I had quite the adventure. After three or four pharmacies, one suggested that I go to a clinic, see a doctor, and get another prescription . I tried several, but no luck. For one, I needed an insurance card, for another, it would have to be tomorrow. The third, the public urgencias, was mobbed. I am a very lucky peregrina, because I decided to go to one more pharmacy just for the heck of it. And I was lucky! The pharmacist told me that any doctor was going to have to just take my word for it (tests would show a normal thyroid), so she decided that she could too. I told her repeatedly that I did not want to put her at risk, but she assured me there was no problem. I learned later that if she gets caught, it will be a €3000 fine. I am sure inspections are much more frequent in the big cities, so if this happens again, I will make sure to go to a pharmacy in a small town!
This is a beautiful city. Lots of pretty plazas, tons of cafés. In one, there was a lovely display of “Jotas de Flores” — figurines, decked out in flowers, each one posed in a step of the traditional Aragonés jota. I ate my lunch outside in a tree-filled square in a very cute place. How lucky am I?
Even with the help of the very nice guys at reception, I have been unable to buy a bus ticket to Jaca for tomorrow. That meant another trip back to the intermodal Station (the ticket office for the bus was closed on Sunday morning). I probably would have been fine buying the ticket on the bus, but it was only a 45 minute walk each way. Yesterday I walked 13 miles according to my phone, and today I was at a paltry 6, so I needed to up my game!
On the way back, I walked along the river, which was really nice, and then met up with a Forum member for a coffee in late afternoon. Lots of great Camino Chatter and instant connections. It was a great day. I’m sitting out in the main Square watching the people and eating a pizza. Tomorrow, I hope to make it to my starting point
In France.Leggi altro

Viaggiatore
These must be your friendly pharmacists. I'm surprised at the name of the pharmacy: Hernán Cortés? The man responsible for the annihilation of the Aztec Empire? He wasn't even from Aragón. Why name the pharmacy after him? Just curious...

Viaggiatore
The statue of Augustus suggests this city was founded by the Romans. That would make it over 2000 years old?

Laurie ReynoldsYes, the city’s name was originally Caesaragusta. Founded in the first century BC. Then came the Visigoths, then the Moors, then the Reconquista in the 12th century.
In Zaragoza
25 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
I arrived in Madrid at 5:30 this morning, and by 6:30 I was in Atocha Station. Since I couldn’t change to an earlier train, I had a couple of hours to walk around the center. I walked a loop — past the Prado, Retiro Park, Cibeles, Sol, Plaza Mayor. The city was showing the results of a long Saturday night, with lots of alcohol-related trash, and a fair number of inebriated people sitting on the curb or stumbling along. In some small plazas, the botellones (BYOB outdoor gatherings) were still going strong.
The train to Zaragoza left exactly at 9:27 and arrived about 7 minutes early. As I was walking into the center, I passed what I knew must be the Moorish palace turned regional legislature and offices. It was open for a visit, so I hopped in line, paid my two euro senior citizen fee and enjoyed a walk around. Since it is currently being used for offices and meetings, the restoration may have been a little aggressive. But some of the rooms have that delicate lacy stonework, and the mihrab is pretty much intact.
My hotel is very close to the basilica, which commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Santiago in 40 A.D. I dropped my backpack off at about 12:30 and spent the next couple hours walking around the historic center — visiting the Roman sites (Forum, baths, and theater), admiring a couple of mudéjar churches, and walking along the river. Since it’s Sunday, there are tons of people out and about, walking, sitting in plazas, drinking vermouth, playing with their children.
I’ve showered and washed my clothes, had a cold drink in a plaza, and am now holding my eyes open so that I can stay awake till 7 or 8 and then hope for a good night’s sleep. Since no self respecting Spanish restaurant will serve a meal at 6 PM, I am just going to get a salad in the hotel. And then –SLEEP!Leggi altro

Laurie ReynoldsI agree with you. But I think that it is better to actually use these buildings than let them all fall into museum mode. Tough choices. But Aragón clearly likes using the Alfajería.
Flight to Spain
24 maggio 2025, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
I’m in Charlotte, soon to board the flight for Madrid. My backpack got pulled for inspection at TSA. But it was the baggie of instant coffee and not the hiking poles that caused concern. After they tested it for explosives, I went right through. Everything went fine till we landed in Charlotte and found we were trapped on the jet bridge. The magnetic door stopped working and wouldn’t recognize the employees’ PIN numbers. When we finally were released, I started to get into that relaxed, copacetic, camino mindset.
I walked my first Camino in 2000, to celebrate my 50th birthday and to prove to myself that I was not going to slide into decrepitude without a fight.
25 years later, I’ve walked a Camino almost every year, and I’ve hit another major marker. 75 years old, entering the 4th quarter. I look forward to my annual Caminos, revel in the self-sufficiency, the solitude, the physical challenge, the natural beauty, the ancient architecture, and I wanted to make this year special. So I’ve decided on a route with a lot of mountains. But I knew I should have a Plan A and a Plan B. There’s no doubt my body is not what it used to be, but I don’t want to give up on myself either. I wanted to have a Camino with lots of mountains, but I am not so sure about my ability to climb them! So…
I have spent many hours researching routes, mountains, alternative routes, castles, monasteries, and alternative routes to the alternative routes. I have good information, good GPS tracks and I can make decisions based on how my body actually feels when I’m walking. If I can’t do it all, I won’t be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Based on last year’s Camino and some Camino walking in Lisbon in October, I am fairly optimistic that a good day for me is 28-30 kms with 600-800 m elevation. We will see what I find out when I start walking, though!
I am going to start in France, in a town called Urdos, which is one day over the border and gives me a good mountain day into Spain. From there, the Camino Aragonés (hopefully with a few detours for castles and monasteries) to Pamplona, and from there on the Camino Viejo till I get to the point where I will hopefully cut things a little short to go meet my son and grandson in Oviedo. I am approaching this entire Camino with the open mind of wait and see and don’t push yourself.
Only one more plane ride to go, the long one! Tomorrow, I hope to sleep in Zaragoza.Leggi altro

Viaggiatore28-30 km per day.... You're definitely not in the distance challenged slow walkers club who average 15 km a day, Laurie 😄

ViaggiatoreNo kidding!! I’m over 10 years younger and for me 30 kms is a killer, even with no climbing! You go, Laurie! Buen Camino ❤️🥾
Camino 2025 starts tomorrow
23 maggio 2025, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Tomorrow morning I will start out for Spain. From Madrid, I’ll take a train to Zaragoza. I’ve decided to spend a full day there, just to decompress a bit before walking. The last time I was in Zaragoza, walking on the Ruta del Ebro, I had been bitten by bed bugs and spent my afternoon washing clothes, spraying the bag, fun things like that. So it will be nice to have a rest day there, though I know I will be chomping at the bit to get walking!
For more than 20 years, I have used the same horribly banged up and now filthy backpack. It is no longer made, but it is the pack I adore. I bought a new Osprey a few years ago, but at the last minute just didn’t want to change. So it has been sewn, duct-taped, and re-sewn. BUT — thanks to my sister, I got an unused, spanking new Mountainsmith Ghost pack on E-bay. The $100 price was a steal!
Tomorrow off I go with a new pack, but an old body. More than on any other Camino so far, I am acutely aware of my aging body and uncertain about how it will perform. I have followed along with other peregrinos in my age bracket and know that flexibility and acceptance are the coin of the realm. The important thing for me is to be on the Camino, and if I can’t go as far as I hoped, so be it.
Off tomorrow on a 6:00 am flight from Champaign.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreI’m so excited for you Laurie. Will follow with great enthusiasm. Looking forward to seeing the Aragones again. What a special path. And what follows … Buen Camino Amiga 🩷

ViaggiatoreHave a safe flight, Laurie! I will be following you from Argentina.
Last day in Santiago?
16 maggio 2024, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
The question mark is there because Iberia workers have announced a partial work stoppage at the Santiago airport for today and tomorrow. In my opinion, it is totally justified. The nearby airport in Vigo is closed for runway repairs. Many of the flights have been diverted to Santiago, but there has been no increase in staffing by the big cheeses at Iberia. The workers are stressed and overworked, and they are only asking for more help to be brought on. It looks like there have been some concessions made, and today’s strike apparently only involved the cancellation of three flights. So I am mildly optimistic that my flight will go tomorrow morning as scheduled to Madrid.
I’m glad to have had this day here, because I did have a lot of last-minute shopping to do. I was also able to have a nice long coffee with Ivar (who owns the Santiago internet forum). And I enjoyed having more time with Faith in the Pilgrim House. It always seems like I need her help. A few years ago she helped me take a Covid test online. In spite of how stressful it was, it did get me onto the plane! Another year she gave me a pair of walking sticks for me to take to Finisterre because my Z poles had broken. This year she brought me some duct tape to try to piece together the fraying fabric on my 24-year-old backpack. I was afraid that some of the baggage handling equipment might catch one of the little holes and just rip the whole pack open. Imagine how happy I was when an Australian pilgrim offered to undertake the repair job. She obviously knew what she was doing.
The afternoon has been kind of flat, just wrapping olive oil in bubble wrap, packing up, and the very last of my shopping. It’s not that I get a lot, it’s just that I’m very indecisive and take way too long to figure out important questions like which T-shirts to get which grandkids. And I decided to go back to my favorite bean and spices place, as well as the cheese store down the street. So I have a lot to take home! For those who like beans, this place has a huge selection of beans all from Spain. Lentils, white beans, and the garbanzos that I just love. The cheese store is owned by the cheese maker, so I always like to buy few of their really good Gallego cheeses. Unlike one of my dear Camino friends, I am not a fan of the tetilla cheese, but I tasted a few others and got some really good ones today. One I especially liked was a blue cheese that was not quite as creamy as La Peral (my all-time favorite Asturian cheese), but was yummy. End of food tutorial.
I can’t believe it was five weeks ago that I arrived in Spain. These Camino walks are so medicinal (in a good way). Though my body is definitely tired, and I know it was time to stop walking, it’s a positive high-five-giving kind of exhaustion.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreI'm a bit sad it's done, to be honest. I've been loving these updates. So pleased to see the photos of favorite people and favorite shops. Santiago, so many wonderful days spent there after walking.
A few nighttime updates
15 maggio 2024, Spagna
Who could ever tire of walking around Santiago at night? So beautiful.

ViaggiatoreBeautiful. Yes, Santiago at night and early morning at dawn just before the city starts to wake up ❤️ Thank you for these photos Laurie.

ViaggiatoreWhen I arrive in Santiago, I always enjoy walking down that corridor in San Martin Pinario almost more than walking into the Obradoiro!😊
In Santiago
15 maggio 2024, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Well, today I got a 6am bus from Muxia back to Santiago. From 8 am till 8 pm, I was on the move. I’ve just sat down in a vegetarian restaurant, and the food looks fabulous. It’s called A Porta Verde, and I will let you know.
I have walked all over town, visited the Pórtico de la Gloria (I knew that photography was prohibited in the Pórtico, but I thought it was OK in the Gelmirez Palace —after innocently taking pics of some of my favorite civil Romanesque carving, I was told it was prohibido but that I could keep the fotos), I went to Ivar’s office, I’ve started my olive oil purchasing (yikes, have prices risen!), I got my compostela (no wait in the pilgrims office at about 6 PM, after more than 2000 compostelas had been issued), bought bubble wrap, went to my favorite frutería, and have met three forum members in different places. Not necessarily in that order.
The one sad event came in the late morning. I went up to the market and headed straight for my favorite little booth selling lots of canned Galician products — sardines, bonito (a special tuna), etc. The place was locked up. I asked the butcher in the next stall if she knew anything about the owners. I had met them about 15 years ago, and I went there every time I came to Santiago. About 10 years ago, the woman told me that her husband had dementia, and I got regular updates every time I got to Santiago. The butcher told me that the husband has died and that the woman has gone to A Coruña to live. No more Conservas de Galicia.
My pictures are for my peregrino friends who will recognize all the spots, except for maybe my favorite frutería, where I got 4 clementinas and 4 mandarinas for 65 céntimos.
P.s. I am eating my wok bowl and it is very good. Lots of vegetables and great seasoning.Leggi altro

Viaggiatore
Always a happy peregrina. 😃 Maybe slightly cool? But it doesn’t appear to be raining from the ‘tree’ lookout at the park … however at the spot lower at the ‘sisters’ - it looks wet on the ground. You accomplish so much in a day Laurie ! I’ve enjoyed sharing your days on this 2024 camino. 🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️

ViaggiatoreI ate at A Porta Verde, too, and was blown away. So much so that I posted a thread on the forum. Sad to read about the news from the market - not that I know the stall but just because.
In Muxia
14 maggio 2024, Spagna ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
I have walked from Finisterre to Muxia (or the reverse) at least 5 times. 30 km, 600m. This time it was hard. The ascent at the end was a killer for me. If I’m lucky enough to walk this route again, I will split those 30 km in half. The little town of Lires, which used to have one old pensión and café, has had a small camino explosion.
The weather was fine, with a little drizzle as I left and a few drops as I arrived. But nothing in between. I took a detour to the Lires beach, hoping the bar would be open, but it wasn’t. So I sat on a bench, looking out at the beautiful water, chomping on some nuts and drinking water, instead of my longed-for Fanta de Limón.
I wasn’t feeling particularly social when I arrived, and after a good lunch alone of sea bass and razor clams, I walked out to the church on the rocky point. It’s a spectacular setting. The waves were ferociously pounding on the rocks and the tide was so high it would have been dangerous to walk out on any of them like I usually do. So I just sat, with the wind blowing like crazy and contemplated. The end of another walk —it always happens. No profound revelations after this month of walking, just a sense that life is good and that I am extremely lucky to have been able to walk another beautiful camino.
It’s raining here and it looks like sunset will happen behind a thick veil of clouds. But I’m not disappointed because this has been a really full camino.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreLucky indeed! Congrats on another one in the books - and by all accounts, varied, innovative, and enjoyable!
To Finisterre
13 maggio 2024, Spagna ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
This was thankfully a very short day of walking. About 15 km. Every step in the rain. I left at about 7:30 and I just kept walking till I got here. I was very much hoping to be able to see the coastline. Except for my very first Camino, I have always walked into Finisterre from Muxia. The main reason I chose to walk into Finisterre first this time was to have that nice long walk along the beach. I got that long walk along the beach, but I wouldn’t describe it as nice. Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be.
I had no idea what time it was when I rang the bell of my small hotel. It’s a family run place, and the owner was there cleaning rooms. In spite of the sign on the door that said check in at 4 PM, she very kindly looked at her books and said I could go up to a room she had just cleaned. But, she said, I’m sorry that that the bathroom floor will still be wet. I burst out laughing, since I was a walking puddle, and after a few minutes of a puzzled look, she too burst out laughing.
It seems odd that after hours of walking in the rain, standing under a shower is the thing that appeals the most. But unlike when you’re walking, the water is hot, and when you step out of the shower, you have a towel to dry off, and dry clothes to put on!
One of the reasons I had decided to do such a short stage today was because I had wanted to go up on the “back roads“ to the lighthouse. There are some sacred rocks, which apparently cured infertility, and also the ruins of a hermitage from early Christianity. I was just about to accept the offer of a nice lunch with a few people I had met, when the sky suddenly seemed a bit brighter. Feeling lucky, I decided to go up to the lighthouse instead.
If you can believe it, there were about three hours of glorious sunshine. I was able to walk the entire planned 10 km loop. When I got back to town, the sky was dark once again. I was very very lucky. I am not going to push my luck and will forego the chance of a decent sunset.Leggi altro

Viaggiatore
Hahaha [breathe] Hahaha...the feeling of being a drowned rat, perfectly expressed
To Cee
12 maggio 2024, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
This was originally going to be a short day. 15 km. Down to the coast. Not much elevation. But yesterday afternoon, after hearing Michael, Flavia, and the hospitalero go on about how beautiful the waterfalls at Ézaro were, I did some Wikiloc searching. I found tracks that would take me from right where I was, past the Piedra Cabalgada again, to Ézaro’s ocean overlook from up high, down to the Falls, and then over to my original destination, of Cee. It added 10 km and a couple hundred meters of elevation to my original plan, but it was well worth it.
I have now earned the Triple Crown of waterfalls on my Camino this year. This one has the distinction of being the only waterfall in Europe (or maybe in the world, but that’s not been confirmed) that falls directly into the sea. I was glad to arrive midmorning, because the eight parking spots for buses were empty, and only a handful of cars were in the lot. I sat on a rock, ate some frutos secos, drank water, and just listened and watched as the water crashed down. Very peaceful.
The route was a lot of forest track, kms on some untraveled roads, a couple of kilometers through some dense woods, and only a few on a wide shoulder of a fairly busy highway. I really enjoyed it. In one small village, the woman who was getting her cows ready to be milked told me a story of emigration that fits perfectly in the statue I saw yesterday. She is trying to keep the family dairy farm going, but she says it is very hard work without a man, though she has a brother who helps out when he can.
I’m in a small hotel in Cee, a coastal town at the head of an inlet. Its restaurant was pretty highly rated so I didn’t waste time walking around and looking at menus. My first zamburiñas in a long time! After lunch, I went down to the beach and small harbor and then decided to continue along the water to the next village, Corcubión. Since it is Sunday, there were a lot of families out and about.
The weather today was cloudy and cool. Perfect for walking. I’m hoping the forecast for a few days of rain is wrong, but oh well.Leggi altro
To Logoso (30 km, 550 m)
11 maggio 2024, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
I knew I was getting a visit from Michael and Flavia at my destination, so that put some pep in my step. For the first four hours, we were engulfed in mist, so there wasn’t much to see. But the time went quickly because I was walking with a few different people.
I had a coffee break in an albergue’s café, where I ran into Grigor from Slovenia. He was describing Some sort of NGO work he was doing, and then said “I am a lawyer.” I said “I am too!”. At the table over from us, someone shouted — oh no, I’m a criminal! Well, it was funny at the time.
I had a nice long lunch with my good buddies, and afterwards we walked up to see the Pedra Cabalgada, which is a rock positioned so precariously on top of another rock that you can’t believe it won’t fall. But it hasn’t yet. We also walked down to the nice river and enjoyed catching up on the last two years since we had seen each other. All in all, very nice day.Leggi altro

ViaggiatoreAre those rocks naturally like that? Wonderful. And yes, it _was_ funny, the story about the shouted rejoinder from the 'criminals.'
































































































































































































































































































































Viaggiatore
😍
ViaggiatoreWoooooweeeeee.
ViaggiatoreThe church, the wild mythology, the dolmens...Pilar's kindness...And look! There's Beriain. Wonderful. Happy for you, Laurie....