October 18, 2022. We arrive in Santiago! We arose from our little Pension with anticipation. After a croissant and coffee we were energized to hit the road. Soon we were on the broad dirt camino through the woods and farms, with little cafes and churches scattered along the way. The weather was perfect with nearly …
October 17, 2022. We join the Camino Francés. Last night the wind and rain whipped through Arzúa and we wondered how much of today would be very unpleasant of a rain day. But things were already clearing this morning, still with clouds and mud, but no rain, and the clouds lifted and we finally saw …
October 16, 2022. Closing in on the prize. In order to get the ”Campostela” certification, one must have the Camino passport stamped twice a day during the final 100 km, not just once. That gets a little tricky if you eat and sleep in the same place and don’t stop much, but don’t worry, we’ve …
October 15, 2022. A big step closer over tiring territory We awoke early at our hostel in the Natural park that we shared with albergue guests, but we were grateful for a good night’s sleep in a private room. After a very light breakfast we decided not to hit up a local bar/restaurant and get …
October 14, 2022. We cross the 100 km threshold left! Our day started, as usual, in the misty gray light, as we walked to a little cafe popular with students and pilgrims that offered American items such as toast and scrambled eggs with bacon, cafe con leche and orange juice, all for $6 each. This …
October 13, 2022. Rest, recover and reflection day. After our evening in a beautiful albergue (Spanish term for a group hostel), I needed a light hiking day and some time for rest and recovery. I loved the hostal experience for many reasons, but getting very little sleep was not one of them. O Xistral, mentioned …
October 12, 2022. What we used to think of as Columbus Day in the US is also, to our surprise, a National Day of Spain celebrating the spread of Spanish culture and language to the world. This means that all stores and supermarkets are closed and a pilgrim must plan ahead carefully to have supplies …
October 11, 2022. Today we dive deeper into the remote interior Galician mountainous area. We arose from our surprisingly comfortable pilgrim accommodation in the remote and tiny hamlet of Villamartin Pequeño, where a three generation family business of pilgrim accommodations had arisen, and was most welcome as there was no other accommodation for miles. How …
October 10, 2022. There’s a feeling of being on the final lap and that we can make it as we cross into Galicia. Early morning brought the unwelcome sound of hard rain on the windowsills and the roof. Although 7:30 it was still very dark out. We have to get used to sunrise now being …
October 9, 2022. On today, our last full day in Asturias, we aimed to get a lot of miles in and get close to the Galician border. Thanks to milder elevation changes, the 29 km went smoothly. Our day began in the industrial city of Navia, with breakfast in a little patisserie, which appeared to …
