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Dos Perigrinos
Dos Perigrinos

Dos Perigrinos

Commercial photographer / videographer, world traveler & retired airline employee (that really helps with the world traveling!). Read more🇺🇸Austin
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  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    The End

    May 29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    It was a great trip! Here are our passports or “credentials”. Since of course Jay and I were traveling together, they are virtually identical.
    When you are walking a camino you use these to gain access to the albergues (hostels for pilgrims). Then you get a stamp at each place you stay (and cafes and bars) to prove at the end of the camino you have walked (or rode a bike or horse) the required distance to get your Compostela (100km if walking or 200km if riding a bike or horse). We also both received our distance certificates that confirmed we walked 240 kilometers (150 miles) and our Compostela Certificates (documents from the 13th century written in Latin to prove we completed a pilgrimage.
    The passports and certificates are great, but of course the real rewards are the great memories of people and places.
    Thank you Jay for all the great memories!    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 12, To Santiago

    May 28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Camino Portuguese day 12: to Santiago

    Today was the final day of this Camino and it also was the most difficult. We knew it would be a difficult day (over 25k) and up up up virtually all the way. Fortunately we got a very early start so we avoided (some) of the heat of the day. It actually ended up being over 30k and over 50,000 steps. Although in full disclosure some of those steps were done dancing in the evening.
    That of course leads me back to the great part. Arriving in Santiago you are surrounded by people from all around the world that have walked the multiple routes to end up in Santiago. They are all experiencing the same tumble of emotions; joy, sadness, and the combination of a great sense of completion and exhaustion. There is also always the sense of joy and sadness of the friends you have crossed paths with during the journey and knowledge you very possibly will not cross paths again.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 11, To Padrón

    May 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Camino Portuguese Day 11: To Padron.

    As we get closer to Santiago the crowds on the Camino have continued to increase, yet we seem to run into our friends we have met during our Camino around every turn. We can’t stop at a cafe for coffee, lunch or dinner without being greeted by one or more of the 20 or so folks from around the world that have shared this walk. Tomorrow we will arrive in Santiago and I already know the joy of arriving will be surpassed by the knowledge that it’s the end of this journey with many new friends and a great trip with my brother.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 10, To Caldas de Reis

    May 26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Camino Portuguese Day 10: to Caldas de Reis

    Another really good day on the Camino! We’ve walked a little over 25k today, but that included a little walking around. The day started with a foggy morning but turned into a pretty day with lots of trails through nature past vineyards and scarecrows. (I’m not sure if they had brains). Of course, meeting more new friends and revisiting over a beer with folks we met earlier on the trail is always a highlight.
    Caldas de Reis has been known for a millennium for its hot springs. They had a small area that was perfect for Perigrinos to soak their feet in the hot water after a long day walking. Of course, I had to partake.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 9, To Pontevedra

    May 25, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    Camino Day 9: to Pontevedra.
    I would say today was one of my favorite days so far. It was a beautiful walk today to Pontevedra. Much of it was on natural trails. It also was not too long (about 20k), so we got to our accommodations for the night about 2:30 after eating lunch nearby. Since we passed the 100 kilometer mark yesterday the Camiño is definitely getting more crowded. We are seeing lots of new faces excited to be starting their journey as well as folks we met previously.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 8, To Casa di Mina (Redondela)

    May 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    “The walk continues…. Day 8: Today we walked from Porriño to Redondela.” That was all I wrote for my initial social media post I tried to do each evening before going to bed. I was obviously tired…
    It actually was an eventful 21k day. Early on we passed the 100 kilometer mark from Santiago. For the great majority of pilgrims that walk the various Caminos to Santiago, that is where they start. The final 100k is what the Catholic Church requires to consider it a pilgrimage and to receive your Compostela when you arrive. The walk was a combination of trails and roadways until we arrived at Casa di Mina about 5k after Redondela. It was a great place to stay. Nice hosts, good food and wine, and most importantly, comfortable beds.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 7, To O Porriño

    May 23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Camino Portuguese day 7: to O Porriño
    Today was an especially long day, it was just over 31k or about 19 1/4 miles. For you step counters, todays walk was just less than 45,000 steps. That’s about a third more than I like, but it’s what worked out best when planning the stages (days) for this Camino. The fun parts were we made it to Spain yea! It just feels cool to be walking into another country. Just before walking across the bridge to Spain we took a quick walk around a Portuguese fortress in Valença. We saw a couple of Roman bridges and several medieval ones. This area is full of ancient canals that were used for trade and transportation. Some of the canals have virtually filled with silt over the millennia and you could tell where a thousand years (or more…) of carts and people have worn wheel & feet tracks into the stone in the surrounding roads. There was one place where the Camino split. Going left was a little longer but more scenic, so that was our choice. Even so, today had lots of walking on the narrow shoulder of roads. Not our favorite. Tomorrow we walk to Redondela. Less than 18k. Yea! Our feet need a break.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 6, To Albergue Quinta Estrada

    May 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Camino Portuguese day 6: to Albergue Quinta Estrada Romana

    Today was supposedly a shorter day (about 19k). However, it was a very vertical day, with lots of up up ups and down down downs. That did make it a bit more challenging, but the trails were really beautiful. All in all, I’ll take a long vertical climb through the woods any day, vs. a few minutes on a skinny shoulder of a busy road. We walked over a couple of Roman bridges that are thousands of years old, past monuments where pilgrims have left stones to represent their loved ones and things they have chosen to leave behind, and of course, many many churches. We saw old cork trees and baby sheep. We drank good wine and ate good food with new friends we met today, and some we met days ago on the Camino. We walked in rain and under sunny blue skies. It was an excellent day.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 5, To Labruja

    May 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Camino Portuguese Day 5: To Labruja.

    Today started with a nice breakfast at our albergue, Casa da Fernanda before heading out on our 24k (about 17 miles and just over 40k steps) day. It was rainy in the morning but part of the time our trail took us through fields of Calla Lily’s (big white flowers) and over hanging Brazil white angel trumpet flowers. (They were actually yellow). It was pretty magical. Around lunchtime the rain stopped before we arrived in Ponte de Lima where we stopped for lunch and ran into friends we had met on previous days. Ponte de Lima is a really charming town that we were told is the oldest in Portugal. After crossing the 2000 year old bridge (considered to be the most important monument in Portugal) we continued on through primarily rural dirt and cobblestone pathways. Around 5:30 arrived at Quinta Labruja. It’s a remodeled building that is the oldest in the village and is reported to have served as a small shop for pilgrims 300 years ago. Quinta Labruja translates to English as “Witch’s Fifth”. The owners did a great job using the witch motif as a theme for decorating when they turned it into a small private hotel with two rooms. They also served a nice dinner for the other two guests and Jay and I. Tomorrow, we are off to another albergue, Passos Albergue Quinta Estrada Romana. In theory, it’s less than an 18k walk.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 4, To “Casa da Fernanda”

    May 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Another beautiful day on the Camino Portuguese. We left our room in Barcelos at 8am and stopped by the bar next door for a croissant and coffee. Tonight we are staying at our first real Albergue; Casa da Fernanda.

    The day started by us leaving the city then making our way past rock wall lined rural lanes as we moved more into the countryside. We’re obviously in wine country with vineyards all around. Finally, we arrived at our Albergue, Casa da Fernanda. There are 12 beds in shared spaces. One room with 4 beds and another with 8. Jay and I are in the smaller space with a young couple from Belgium.
    There is also one Italian guy and two elderly women from Canada. (Those two have each done around 15 Camino’s!) There are also five women from Brazil that are part of a hiking club.
    Tonight after a wonderful communal dinner, a guitar was passed around and the Belgium woman played and we sang old John Denver and other great sing-along songs. This albergue pretty much sums up the difference in staying at private accommodations vs. albergues. At an albergue you may lose privacy (and possibly an insuite toilet) but you gain friendship and community. For me, I like a mix of the two. If I were 30 years younger, I’d stay at an albergue every time. In any case, today was really fun.
    Tomorrow we’re off to Labruga.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 3, To Barcelos

    May 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Camino Portuguese Day 3: to Barcelos.

    It was a great day today. Nice weather and a nice walk. We left Arcos in the fog but things cleared up fast. We ended up going off the “normal” path for an alternate path that took us through the trees to a beautiful hilltop church with a nice restaurant and a view to the sea. It was up, up, up and then down, down, down but definitely worth the journey. Speaking of “normal”, the first day and a half instead of taking the traditional or “normal” route, we walked up the coast on what is called the “Senda Litoral” route. Along that route you see very few yellow arrows guiding you. However, you do see lots of beautiful coastline and sand. (Perhaps the arrows are difficult to paint in the sand. Besides, if the ocean is on your left, you’re going the right way…)
    Once we reached Vila do Conde we cut over to the traditional Camino Portuguese route. Now that we are on the traditional route, we are seeing lots of the comforting yellow arrows the tell us we are indeed on the”way”.
    When we got to Barcelos we checked into our room (free upgrade at Casa da Ana!) super nice room! Then we took our showers and washed our dirty laundry. Feeling clean and refreshed, we headed out to see the town. Tomorrow we are at Casa de Fernanda. Our first true albergue.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 2, To Arcos

    May 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Portuguese Camino Day 2: To Arcos

    Today started off with more walking on boardwalks by the ocean, mixed in with the typical Portuguese stone black and white cobblestone walkways.
    Once we got to Vila do Conde the route involved walking on lots of small two lane roads with virtually no shoulder to cut across from the coastal (or Sendai Litoral) route to the central Camino.
    We had a really great lunch in the little village of Strada. The food was great and the people were spectacular. The wife/hostess gave Jay a large scallop shell (since he didn’t have one) and then the husband (and chef) got his tool kit with drill and proceeded to drill a hole so Jay could hang it from his backpack.
    Side story…. We ordered pork ribs with roasted potatoes and salad. I was a little concerned because in Texas, pork ribs are definitely finger food. But, we were dining at a nice restaurant in Portugal so I didn’t know the proper etiquette. I asked the hostess if pork ribs should be eaten with your hands?… with a completely strait face she said “yes it’s much easier than eating them with your feet…”
    Today was a shorter day than yesterday but our feet were still complaining from yesterday.
    Fortunately we arrived at our Villa de Arcos a little before 3p. We were ready to take off our shoes and enjoy a little wine after about 23 kilometers (14.6 miles) or 33k steps…    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Day 1, To Labruge

    May 17, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Day 1

    Today we left our place “The Lost Inn; Porto” about 7:45am. It was a mostly beautiful day, passing lighthouses and abandoned forts under sunshine mixed with occasional rain. Much of the time we were walking on boardwalks over the sand with the ocean on our left. Occasionally we were on traditional Portuguese cobblestone paths which are often white stones accented with black stone decoration (or the reverse). Being so close to the ocean, of course we had to eat seafood for lunch and dinner. Eighteen and a half miles and 43,000 steps later we arrived in Labruge about 4pm where we stayed at the Casa de Praia Guest House.

    Tomorrow we are off to Arcos.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino PortugueseTraveler

    Porto Arrival

    May 16–17, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    It’s been a couple of great days hanging out with Jay in Porto waiting for our bodies to get accustomed to the time change. We spent the days exploring the city. Porto is a wonderful city known for the beautiful ceramic tiles that adorn many of the buildings and a beautiful area down by the river with cafes to enjoy a meal or just a glass of wine. We walked across the Dom Luís Bridge over the Rio Douro to the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. Later we met up with a Watercolor artist I’ve followed that paints while walking the Caminos (Vincent Monluc) at a cafe on the river. Tomorrow morning we start our Camino with our first day of walking along the beach to Labruge.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Pilgrim’s Passport

    June 17, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    This is my Pilgrims’s Passport (or Credential) that I got stamped at albergues, hostels, or hotels where I stayed as well as bars, cafes, and cathedrals to document my Camino across Spain for the official pilgrim’s office in Santiago.
    It also makes for a great keepsake!    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 37: To Santiago!

    June 17, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    The Way.
    In a logical sense, today was like any of the other 37 days I have been walking from Saint-Jean-Pied-du-Port France to Santiago. Just another 20-kilometer (12 mile) day of my 800k (500 mile) journey. A little shorter than most, a walk-through villages and cities, through fields, on paths and roads, leading to a destination.
    Below, I’ve posted photos of what I saw during the last 20k. They say little about what I experienced excepting the photos of my Camino family I met along the way. I started the day walking with Traci from San Diego that was practically sprinting knowing her husband had flown over and would be meeting her when she walked into Santiago.
    Thank you, Dorothy, for accompanying me for the first 11 days of my Camino adventure and the travel days in Paris and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port France. It was great just spending time with you. What really made the Camino such a memorable experience was so much more than the walk and the Spanish countryside. What makes the Camino so special is the connections you make along the trail. There are too many to mention them all, but hank you Rebekah from Australia. Dorothy and I met her in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port over a month ago and she made it a point to greet me as I walked into the Santiago Plaza. Thank you, Cecilia, Bryan & Marta & George, Linda, Collin and (Irish) Emma. Thank you, Sally Jo, Kelly, Alice & Aurelie. Terry, (Amish) Emma and Jack. Thank you, Peter, Jono, Escher and their family. Thank you, Klaus, Elena, Victor, Lauren, Katarina & Julia, Karen, Ingegerd, Nayhouy, Mike & Barb, Natalie, Mina, Eva, Sudah, Sunny, and so, so many more.
    As humans, we are driven often more by emotions and feelings than logic. At least for me, that is definitely the case, and I would consider that a good thing. Therefore, today was so much more.
    The Camino, “The Way” is more than just a really long walk from France through Spain. Some believe it’s some magic meridian lines along the route that give healing powers. Christian’s have walked the route for over 1000 years to show devotion to St James the Apostle. Many say the route was walked long before that. All I know is it is a unique experience. I believe that beyond the infrastructure (albergues, yellow arrows (everywhere) and well-maintained pathways), it’s the people like those mentioned above that choose to walk the walk. Perhaps because of the shared experiences and pain, connections are quickly formed. The people are virtually never judgmental, kindness is omnipresent. It’s the way I want to be. It’s the way I want the world to be. I want us all to be seeking the same destination.

    That being said, today I walked into Santiago.
    This journey has ended.
    I will carry my memories of the quiet moments, the wonderful moments walking with my sister and the many wonderful people that enriched my journey with me. Always.
    I believe carrying these experiences will help me enrich those around me.
    My feet are tired. My heart is full.
    The journey continues.

    Postscript…
    I started the Camino on May 12th, 2023, from St Jean Pied de Port France and walked into main Cathedral square of Santiago de Compostela Spain on the early afternoon of June, 17th 2023.
    According to my Fitbit I walked:
    37 Days
    1,370,946 Steps
    956. Kilometers
    597. Miles

    And…
    Those statistics are a relatively insignificant part of the journey.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 36: To O Pedrouzo

    June 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    As I’ve gotten closer to Santiago the trails have been busier and there have been more crafts people and vendors along the trails with a sellos (stamp for your pilgrim’s passport) marketing their wares. It’s not at all like you are walking through a crafts fair, but you will usually pass something to capture your attention every hour or two.
    I ended up running into my friend Tracy this morning and we walked together the entire day. Tracy is a pocket-sized force of nature that walks substantially faster than my normal pace, but the great conversation and the excitement that tonight was my last stop before Santiago took my mind off our faster speed, and it was great getting into my destination for the day much earlier than I would have at my normal turtle 🐢… pace. It was almost a 24k day, but it went by really fast. More Hórreos (interesting, elevated grain storage buildings that are unique to Galicia) on the trail today as well as more beautiful fields and tiny villages along with one fairly good-sized town (Arzúa). The early arrival at O Pedrouzo was nice and I met up with a group of Camino family from South Africa, the UK and New Zealand that had been crossing paths with me for a few days. Finally, later I met up with Bryan and Marta that have become part of my core Camino family.
    Tomorrow, I know will be very bittersweet. I will walk into Santiago which will mark the end of my Camino de Santiago Francés.
    I will finally be able to fly home and rejoin my wife and family that I have been missing for weeks. I will also be leaving behind such wonderful friends that have become my Camino family through our shared joys and challenges. Still the memories will remain.
    Until then, tomorrow to Santiago!    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 35: To Ribidiso.

    June 15, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Almost there… only two nights to Santiago! Today was a long (over 30k) hot day. The guidebooks showed a 26k day (which my feet will tell you is already pushing my limits) but they, well, lied. Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautiful hike. Just long, and by the time I arrived, hot.
    Before leaving town there was a nice pilgrim statue helping to point the way. (Not that there is any doubt.)
    Today I met new people, walked alone, and reconnected with some, including a friend that was Dorothy’s and my roommate the first night we arrived in St Jean Pied de Port before beginning our Camino. Today’s walk included periods of young exuberance, periods with only the birds singing, and a few minutes to stop and listen to some nice Spanish guitar.
    Tomorrow, to O Pedrouzo.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 34: To Palas di Rei

    June 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    It was a foggy morning…
    As has become my routine I started my walk shortly before 8am and proceeded over the bridge leaving Portomarin headed to Palas de Rei.
    Galicia (the area in Spain where I’m currently walking) is truly beautiful. Lots of greenery, flowers and of course, more quaint villages. Today about 80% of the Camino was on (mostly) tree covered trails and the remainder was on small country roads. In proportion to the increased number of Peregrinos there are more independent vendors set up on the trail. Some selling their crafts, some like a woman Miriam, just collecting stories from pilgrims about their Camino.
    One of my favorite stops of the day was an ancient Pagan site that was inhabited from about the fourth century BC, to the start of the Roman occupation. The somewhat surprising thing is although not visible from the trail, it was marked with a plaque and only about 400 feet off the Camino. Still in their quest to get to their destination virtually no one took the (very) short path to the site. They walked by totally unaware of its existence.
    It was pretty cool to be walking around exploring the (fairly small) spaces where people were living and working twenty-five hundred years ago.
    My tiny Camino perspective is how many people or things do we pass by unaware every day, missing that with a little focus they may have an effect on us.
    Today was a fairly long day at just over 26km (or just over 16 miles) and I was hot and tired by the time I arrived in Palis de Rei. After dropping off my backpack it was great to run into a group of my Camino family for dinner.
    Tomorrow to Ribadiso    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 33: To Portomarin

    June 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    I walked out of Sarria shortly after sunrise accompanied by throngs of young people….
    I admittedly had a certain trepidation about how the Camino would change after Sarria knowing so many new pilgrims would be joining the Camino.
    To receive the official documentation that you have done the pilgrimage to Santiago, you have to prove you have walked the last 100k or biked the last 200k to Santiago. Since Sarria is just over the 100k mark it’s a very popular place for an official start, therefore over 70% of official Compostela walkers skip the first 700k, and just start their Camino in Sarria. I passed the official 100k to Santiago marker today around lunchtime.
    And so… starting in Sarria there is substantially more noise and especially more young people.
    My day did start off really busy however it was really fun talking to all the young people. One group of kids that were all around 15 doing a summer school trip presented me with a small tote bag with their school logo and wanted a photo with me. I’m not sure if it was because I had already walked 700k, or they thought I was really old and perhaps they should get a photo now because I may not make it to the end….
    A little later while having coffee I met Mario. He is 74 and has walked 11 Camino’s. Wow! A bit later on the trail, I ran into him, and he told me he was watching me walk and I should not hunch over so much and keep my head looking further down the path. I’ve been working on it, but old habits die hard…. Thank you, Mario.
    Although the trails were more crowded, there is some universal slinky rule that dictates the ebb and flow of crowds. You can always walk between the crowded sections or walk in them. It’s all a matter of pacing yourself. So, all in all it was a beautiful day surrounded by periods of silence alternating with throngs of new peregrinos discovering the joys and aches of the Camino.
    By the time I arrived in Portomarín I was in dire need of a toilet. I crossed the big bridge over the river to discover a large flight of stairs as my final challenge before I could find a baño and a cerveza. Glad I made it….
    Tomorrow to Palas de Rei…    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 32: To Sarria.

    June 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    This morning I started my hike walking with Terry, his granddaughter Emma (aka Amish Emma) and her partner Jack and then later joined by (Irish) Emma and Alice.
    There is a giant scallop shell fuente (water fountain) on the trail that pretty much everyone must get an obligatory photo with. Afterwards, when we arrived at the little village of Montán I was really wanting another cup of coffee or perhaps a snack, but there were no bars, only a ‘24 hour’ vending machine with a beautiful blue-eyed cat watching over it and searching for affection. I bought a rather unsatisfying candy bar and resigned that I would wait until the next village to get something better to eat and drink. Then, just as we were leaving the little village, we ran across this very cool lounging and meditative space. There was a table of food (all Donativo (you just donate what you can)). There was a little musical space with guitars, percussion instruments and a ukulele), a room with hammocks and more. A young woman even offered to make us coffee and then served it to us. It was pretty amazing!
    After sitting for a while, I was ready to get back on the trail before Emma or Alice so I moved on ahead.
    Today’s trail was a great combination of open fields with views of the surrounding mountains and heavily wooded womb like trails.
    I finally made it into the town of Sarria (where they had mosaic shells decorating the sidewalks) and after dropping of off my backpack in my room, I went on a quest for a nearby laundromat and dinner. After my clothes were clean and my tummy was full, it was time for bed and then tomorrow I head off to Portomarin.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 31: To Triacastela

    June 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Today was a beautiful day. It started with a reunion of more long-lost Camino family for breakfast then on the trail. Amish Emma (she isn’t Amish, it’s a long story) was on a quest for a 4-leaf clover amongst the clover patches on the trail as we left O’Cebreiro. That started a quest for the rest of us that started off walking together that morning.
    I’m happy to say I found one 🍀 then, and another while walking alone later. I’m told that about 1 in 10,000 ☘️ are 🍀. I believe all of us in that group found at least one.
    Actually though, today the flowers de jour were daisies. There were fields with gazillions of them.
    At one point along the trail in the mountains there were a group of cows (bulls?) grazing directly on the trail. I just walked by and spoke softly to them hoping they were not in training for the running of the bulls in Pamplona…
    Finally, after a really beautiful hike I made it to Triccastela, changed into my crocks to give my feet a break and joined some friends for a vino tinto before a nice quiet dinner of paella.
    Tomorrow, I walk to Sarria and the Camino will undergo what I anticipate to be a pretty drastic change.
    About 70% of those that do the Camino start in Sarria. It’s a very popular starting point so the trails will become substantially more crowded.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 30: To O’Cebrerio

    June 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Most would say, the second most difficult part of the Camino Francés is the hike up to O’Cebreiro. I would agree. However, if the weather cooperates it is beautiful at the top. My morning started off under an overcast sky and sure enough, after a while, the rain started falling and the poncho came out. Before then I was able to take a few photos in La Portela de Valcarce and Vega de Valcarce where I had coffee and breakfast. Then the rain came shortly before the real climb started to O’Cebreiro. Most of the climb itself was on a steep muddy, rocky path punctuated by little poobombs the horses (that some folks use for the climb) had left behind. There really are no photos of that section because my hands were firmly attached to my hiking poles and my eyes were watching where I needed to step.
    At one point near the top there was a sweet Spanish lady that had been collecting these really pretty orange mushrooms. The rain stopped and a few minutes later we officially entered Galicia.
    O’Cebriero turned out to be a really cute vibrant (tourist) town. It was especially rewarding because I kept running into various “pilgrim family” members that I had not seen in days or weeks. Because of various factors you meet folks and walk with them, and you may end up together for a day or more and then may or may not see them again for days, weeks or ever. It’s always nice when you do.
    Tomorrow I’m off to Triacastela (down the other side of the mountain).    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 29: To Trabadelo

    June 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    I left Camponaraya and it wasn’t long before it was obvious, I was back in a wine region. The surrounding vineyards made for a beautiful hike. Before 10am, I was in the town of Cacabelos and stoped for a cup of coffee, then continued past more vineyards before walking through the city of Villafranca del Bierzo and then on to Trabadelo for the night. My albergue in Trabadelo; “Casa Susi” was the only albergue I booked literally months in advance because of the wonderful things I had heard about their place and hospitality. It was a treat! Additionally, it was a great surprise when I discovered that four of my Camino family were also staying there! Tomorrow I’m on to O’Cebreiro, the last mountain I need to climb on the Camino.Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 28: To Camponaraya

    June 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    It was a stunningly beautiful morning as I left my albergue in El Acebo and headed for Camponaraya. I turned around on the way up the first hill and turned back to take a pic of last night’s albergue. It was a big albergue, I believe they actually had a gym and offered massages but unfortunately after yesterday’s 30k hike, I arrived too late to enjoy them. (Although I can’t really imagine wanting to go to a gym after spending all day hiking, however a massage would have been great!)
    I walked through the village of Ponferrada and stopped for a coffee before continuing through the village of Molinaseca then into the big city of Ponferrada where I had a great lunch across from a giant Templar castle. It was undoubtedly the most ‘castlely’ looking castle I’ve ever seen! Then on through urban then rural neighborhoods before (finally) arriving at my albergue in Camponaraya.
    Albergues vary pretty drastically in the number of beds and the amenities they offer. This one was nice with large outdoor and indoor areas to enjoy a meal or a cerveza or a vino tinto or vino blanco. While sitting on the patio, I met Victor from Holland. His warm open personality reminded me a great deal of “Joost from Holland” in the movie “The Way”.
    Tomorrow, I have another 25k to go to Trabadelo where I’m excited to be staying at Casa Susi. It’s an albergue I heard about months ago due to their great reputation and I’m looking forward to it.    Read more

  • Dos PerigrinosCamino de Santiago FrancesTraveler

    Day 27: To El Acebo

    June 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    Physically:
    I’m definitely out of the Meseta…
    For the past week or so I have been walking through what they call the Meseta. It’s basically a relatively flat agricultural region. Now that’s in my (metaphorical) rear view mirror as I’m back to climbing and descending mountains. In fact, today I passed the highest point on the entire Camino. While today’s assent and decent was not nearly as challenging as my first couple of days crossing the Pyrenees, I’m definitely not in Kansas…
    Also, to play a little catch-up as payback for yesterday’s 10k day, today I did a long 30k trek. It made for a very long day, although after the fog/rain subsided it was a beautiful solitary hike on a trail through the woods with wildflowers all around.

    Emotionally/Spiritually:
    I was completely alone virtually all day hiking very rocky mountain trails often in the mist & rain. Plus, one of the best-known locations on the Camino; the “Cruz de Ferro” (Iron Cross) was on today’s hike. Physically, it’s just an iron cross on top of what looks like a telephone pole sticking out of a big pile of rocks.
    Not being a “religious” guy, for me, the cross was not the most important part. The relevance was the rocks. The spiritual strength comes with the tradition that you leave a rock or a small memento behind to release a burden, or in memory of a loss or perhaps as a sign of a current love or devotion. It’s a tradition that has been repeated countless thousands of times as is evidenced by the many thousands of rocks people have carried from around the world to leave there.
    I did all the above and am not ashamed to say mine were accompanied by free-flowing tears. (In my best Yoda voice); “Very strong the Force is there”. It’s a very ‘spiritual’ place and hard to not be moved.
    Finally, I stumbled into my Albergue after 6pm and just crashed on my bunk until my 8:15 dinner time. Then enjoyed my three-course 15€ Peregrino dinner. Now I am in my bunk and ready for sleep.    Read more

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