Spain
Cacabelos

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    • Day 36

      Our first day of steady rain

      October 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

      It has been a month of walking, this afternoon was the first day we walked under a steady rain. And windy, as we walked over the top of several low hills in the valley.

      Not a lot of pictures, especially towards the end of the walk. But we made it, tired and damp!Read more

    • Day 25

      Cool walk

      August 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Today was an easy 25k walk, with clouds and a cool wind, and it didn't get hot at all.
      During the walk I have been chatting with a few other pilgrims, from Germany and the US, all in English.
      Then I heard a local speaking Spanish and I almost asked: "your Spanish is very good, where are you from?" 🤣Read more

    • Day 34 - Ponferrada to Cacabelos - 18km

      October 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      I am sitting in Cacabellos waiting for my dinner.

      I started the day at 8am again. I started out in the city, but a couple times I blindly followed someone else with a backpack and soon realized I didn’t see any arrows. I was lucky I had the wise pilgrim app which shows the trail and where you are on it. So I could get myself back on track again but probably added maybe a kilometre extra to my day.

      The scenery today wasn’t anything spectacular so there is no video, only a few pictures. I took my time as I knew it was a short day, but I was also conscious of the time as I wanted to be here around 1pm as after that, the sun becomes unbearable. It is unseasonably warm here. It is still close to 30 everyday.

      Last night I booked my hotel in Santiago. I have booked it for Sept 12-15 so now I really do need to arrive on the 12th. On my first break of the day today, I sent a message to the tattoo artist I wanted to go to and I have an appointment for 10:30am on September 13th for my tattoo. All my plans are coming together nicely. I have around 190kms to go.

      Also on that first break, I decided to send an email to the Albergue in Cacabelos again asking if they are open and if I could have bed number 19-20. I had sent them an email a week ago, but didn’t hear back from them. In the email, I had explained that I stayed here in 2009 with my husband and that he first told me he loved me here and that he died this year. I said it would be special if I could stay again. Last year, they had closed in September so I wasn’t sure if they would be open. I also didn’t hear back from them today either.

      When I got to town, I walked through town to the albergue and I could see that it was open. I went inside and the woman in charge asked me to just sit on the bench while she showed the other people their room. As I was sitting there alone, waiting, I started to cry. I think part of it was the release of the stress knowing that it is actually open. When she came back and was checking me in, I asked if I could make a special request for bed 20 and she asked me if I was Julie. She had read my email so she understood.

      She was very kind, we talked about Jörg and she asked how he died. When we got to the room, she said “this will be sad for you”, I said “yes”. She opened the door and then left me there and said “I wish you a good life”. I went inside and just sat for awhile, then I just lied down for a bit. Finally I got up, and then put my headset on and watched the video from Jörg’s celebration of life and had another good cry.

      It was time to venture out. I met up with Jenna and had a beer and we talked about Jörg. I showed her pictures from when we were here and showed her our wedding photos. It was very nice. She has been very kind and supportive. Now I am waiting for my ravioli starter and haven’t decided what I will eat after.

      Tomorrow will be a long day. I can do anywhere between 18-25km. I think I would like to do the 25km, but I will gauge it tomorrow.

      TTYL
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    • Day 28

      Topsy turvy

      October 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      I think maybe I off loaded so much baggage yesterday that my balance is off, because today I fell - twice! No damage at all the first time except to the final shreds of my dignity. The second time I scraped my knee a bit. I’m grateful I did not actually hurt myself.

      Possibly the five hours of picking my way downhill on rocky, uneven terrain yesterday may have more to do with it. After the amazingly lovely first few hours it became one of the more grueling days on the Camino and my calves are still feeling it.

      Today was an easy walk though, and a pleasant one, much buoyed by learning that our friend David, of David and Ollie, was walking today after all. He looked quite shipwrecked last night and neither he nor I thought he would be continuing, at least today. I was sad! But 12 hours of sleep apparently worked it’s magic and here he is after all and we had a great conversation this evening about our experiences at the Cruz
      de ferro. Another happy moment today? Morgan and I had FRIED EGGS and toast for breakfast, with coffee and orange juice. We were So Happy with this taste of home! It’s the little things.

      I’ve included a photo taken on the way out of town of the huge Knights Templar castle, which I did not get to tour. It goes on my list of reasons I will be walking this route again.

      Tomorrow we will start climbing again toward another icon of the trip, O Cebreiro, though we will stop about 5 K short of that mountain top where the Camino was basically reborn. Then we will drop into Galicia, or “Green Spain.” Lots to look forward to!
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    • Day 25

      Awesome food

      August 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      Dinner at El Serbal y la Luna was great. First, peppers with garlic; second, the best couscous I ever had, with vegetables; and icecream for dessert.
      Breakfast was equally good. I was able to soak some oats overnight, which is the closest I could get to the bircher muesli I normally have at home.Read more

    • Day 20

      مهدی اومد!

      April 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      مهدی دیشب خودش رو رسوند به شهر پونفرادا. با صدف و مهدی گشتی تو شهر نسبتا کوچیک پومفرادا زدیم. امروز صبح باصدف خداحافظی کردیم و مسیر رو به سمت سانتیاگو با مهدی (همسفر همیشگی جاده‌ها;) ادامه دادیم. هوا خیلی خوب بود طوری که برای اولین بار تو این دو هفته با تیشرت میتونستم راه برم. امیدوارم روزای آینده هم همینطور خوب باقی بمونه. حدود ۱۸ کیلومتر راه رفتیم و تو یه ده خیلی کوچیک تو یه خوابگاه شب رو میمونیم.Read more

    • Day 24

      24. DAY | 25 km

      May 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Flug 29. Mai 2023 ist storniert...

      Vielleicht war heute dass erste Mal in meinem Leben, wo ich nicht alles auf den Kopf gestellt habe, damit ich kein Geld verliere. Bewusst habe ich mich entschieden mein Camino weiterhin mit Gelassenheit zu gehen ohne mich zeitlich unter Druck zu setzen. Jede Münze die ich für diesen Traum zur Seite gelegt habe, nimmt hier einen besonderen Wert an. Sobald ich in Santiago bin endet für mich meine Wanderung, auch wenn ich weitere Ziel Orte für die Tage danach im Sinn habe. Endlich ist es wieder warm und man hat bei Ankunft im Dorf ein Gefühl von Urlaub und vorallem grenzenloser Freiheit. Ich liebe Spanien, es ist wie ein Stück Heimat, auch wenn ich in mir keine Wurzeln diesen Landes trage. Nun sind es weniger als 200 km was für mich überhaupt nicht greifbar ist. Du hast hier nicht einmal die Zeit dir die Namen der Ortschaften zu merken, weil es immens viele sind und dein Fokus auf deine Gedanken liegt. Irgendwann habe ich aufgehört jedes Ereignis festzuhalten, denn es ist wie mit den Menschen "Viele Menschen treten in dein Leben ein, aber nur ein paar besondere Menschen hinterlassen auch Spuren in deinem Herzen". Ein Satz von heute den ich einer Wand entnommen habe.

      Ello

      Il volo 29 maggio 2023 l'ho stornato...

      Forse oggi è stata la prima volta in vita mia che non ho stravolto tutto per non perdere soldi. Ho deciso consapevolmente di continuare a percorrere il mio Cammino con serenità, senza mettermi sotto pressione. Ogni moneta che ho messo da parte per questo sogno assume qui un valore speciale. Appena arrivo a Santiago, il mio cammino a piedi finisce, anche se ho in mente altre mete per i giorni successivi. Finalmente fa di nuovo caldo e quando si arriva in paese si ha una sensazione di vacanza e, soprattutto, di libertà infinita. Amo la Spagna, è come un pezzo di casa, anche se non ho radici di questo Paese in me. Ora mancano meno di 200 km, il che non è affatto tangibile per me. Qui non si ha nemmeno il tempo di ricordare i nomi delle città, perché ce ne sono così tante e la concentrazione è sui propri pensieri. A un certo punto ho smesso di memorizare ogni evento, perché è come con le persone: "Molte persone entrano nella tua vita, ma solo poche persone speciali lasciano tracce nel tuo cuore". Una frase di oggi che ho preso da un muro.

      Elli
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    • Day 44

      Cacabelos (15.7km / 577.6km)

      May 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      For the first time we left in the rain. Very soft drizzle really but we got to use our wet weather gear. We had a few short light showers so no real problem.
      We had a very chatty day somehow. Although we have had several meals with one couple, today we walked with them for a couple of hours and the conversation was very different. When walking it is amazing how people are less guarded and more open to various topics. Then, on the last section we met a couple from Florida and the ladies paired up and left us guys to do the same. A very interesting man, a specialist gastroenterologist physician who was born in the Dominican Republic and was happy to take me through their history as a nation under various colonialists and ultimately independence. Time and miles flew by. The ladies ended up walking and talking with a local who was out walking her dog!
      One of the churches in the small village of Fuentes Neuvas had a beautiful “last supper” painting on the ceiling. Really unexpected in an otherwise ordinary place.
      As we head west, the food is definitely getting better and better, especially the seafood. We had octopus and mussels as part of our lunch which was lovely. We saw the octopus being prepared in a large barrel a bit later - seems to be a local thing.
      We went for a stroll in the evening and it started to rain so we popped into a bar and ordered a sparkling mineral water each. We were the only ones in the bar and the owner gave us all his attention. We had heard the local wine was good so we asked him for some. He was delighted and gave us the full story of the wine and how it had won awards etc- but it was in rather passionate Spanish so not sure we got it all! Anyway the wine was lovely!
      All up, Cacebelos surprised us and is bigger and nicer than expected. A town with life and well presented buildings.
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    • Day 25

      Day 22 - Same old, same old

      October 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      “Walking is how the body measures itself against the earth." - Rebecca Solnit

      Day 22 - Ponferrada to Cacabelos - 15.6 km - approx 3.5hrs

      Today is one of the rare days I wish I was going further. However, as I seem to have beaten my bag to the Hostal (again), it isn’t possible!

      I left my hotel around 7:30 am but went back for some hot water to add to a little insulated bottle I purchased yesterday. Once I saw the breakfast offerings, I decided to stay for breakfast too. Mistakes 1 and 2 of the day hahaha. Insulated bottle isn’t insulated and I pretty much burned my hand on it. Cold drinks in there from now on I guess! I started walking at 8am on a full belly and there’s the second mistake. I felt horrid! It’s the first and last breakfast I have before walking! If I eat before lunch, it’s generally after I have been walking for a while. Now I know!! Walking fasted is the way to go, for me. As long as I am hydrated, I am good to go!

      Within a couple of kms out of town, I caught up with an America woman named Kathy. I only slowed down to chat for a moment and find where she was from. We then walked the next 13 km together at her slower pace. Again, lovely to have someone to chat to and the kms go by a lot quicker! There was nothing extraordinary about today’s walk. Just another day walking in the Spanish countryside. There was a lot more road walking than some days, a few hills and lots of dust. Same old, same old :-). We had one rest stop for tea (me) and soda and ice cream (Kathy) and of course, the baño.

      I got to Cacabelos just before noon and could quite happily have continued to the next town approx 4km away. This would have made tomorrow a shorter day, which would have been great. C’est La vie. I am learning to live with my choices - all of them. There is likely a reason I am not going further. It is just as likely I won’t know what it is, but that’s up to the universe. This is a great place to stop and I sat in the sun and drank my sangria knowing I was at the end of my walking day.

      I managed to find a Dia grocery store today. I have been looking for one for almost a week - since Nancy told me of the lovely gazpacho soup they sell. Perfect for a day on the Way, as it is easy to drink while walking and has lots of good veggies in it - something that is generally lacking in a pilgrim’s diet. As this town is much bigger than it looks, there was a Dia not too far away from my Hostal. I finally got the gazpacho - and it was as yummy as promised! Combine this with a chicken empanada, and I have a cheap and cheerful late lunch. The best kind.

      The evening ended with rain, so I holed up in my Hostal and spent some time with my feet up and Netflix :-)
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    • Day 10

      Walking Day 6 to Villafranca del Bierzo

      May 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

      Back on the trail again 17.2 miles to Villafranca. I felt very good today, walking strong until i arrived at the hostel Cruce. New faces on the trail because we took a rest day yesterday. It was flat for the first 10 miles, then some fairly steep grades. I walked nearly all the trail alone today. A couple times i waited for pilgrims to go by, so i could be sure i had the right way. One older fellow was a little rude to me when I asked for direction, "Can't you see the sign?", he said. I couldn't see it. It cuts a little bit, even when I know it shouldn't. I stopped in a small church for a few minutes after lunch. It felt like something i should do. next I stopped to get a drink with a retired Korean couple. We converced with the Google translator. I asked why so many Korean pilgrims?, He replied " i think there are a lot of Americans!" LOL. His wife told me they come to escape the congestion of life in Seoul. Next, i walked through the Spanish vineyards and listened to the nighrengale songs. Finally arrived at Villafranca, but still another 1k to go. The streets here are very very steep. The village is at 1650', but that changes quickly.Read more

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    Cacabelos

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