779 km is the exact number written on my Compostela certificate. We walked across a country! This has been such a terrific experience. I must admit, I’m already looking forward to the next adventure.

The walk into Santiago, our final destination, was pretty straightforward. Far less ups and downs. Much more vegetation and very lush. Large open paths bordered by gigantic eucalyptus trees… making me feel like a thimble in the forest. It’s the rainy season so we didn’t go far before getting wet, as it rained for three days straight. Each night we put our shoes on the heater, which was usually on for an hour. But, even though it was raining, it felt as though the brain fog lifted for a brief time. We embraced that last week and the friendships we made. Welcoming the moments of laughter on the path. I’ll look back on this time and forever be grateful for those moments that propelled us towards the finish line in Santiago.

The villages we walked through to reach Santiago were much more commercialized. Trinkets for sale at every stop. The noise of little voices on the path became normal, like the noise you hear walking down the street. You can feel the lightness in the air, happy people knowing they’ve almost met their goal.

The last day, as we approached Santiago, we took our time. We meandered down the streets… took one last wrong turn and had to hike up the 90 degree street in front of us. We just didn’t want to finish without one last climb with our poles! Santiago is hilly, many stairs, lots of climbing.

With a few friends we stopped for our last Camino lunch. We would see one another again throughout the next couple of days… but that was the last meal we would share, wearing wet hiking boots, with disheveled hair, nap sacks in tow, shoes off and poles leaning against the wall.

Life is not measured by time. It is measured by moments like these.

During those final few days of walking there was a lot of emotion, and excitement at reaching our destination, the cathedral. Nearing the end. Knowing we had to come back to an empty house. The time that had just passed, was just that, time that past. A beautiful adventure, I was grateful to have experienced. What’s next? As much as you fight it, run away and cross a country, life continues …

Santiago

What a beautiful destination. Unfortunately it was wet and dreary but that didn’t spoil anything. We walked around… visited the pilgrim museum, attended the traditional pilgrim mass. No, we did not hear our names called out, unfortunately the cathedral is under renovations, the usual mass hasn’t and won’t take place again for months. But that’s ok! The exhilaration the group felt wasn’t dampened by the change to a smaller Cathedral to celebrate our spiritual journey.

We were spoiled once again… we did name this blog “Camino our way” after all! … We stayed within the cathedral walls at the Parador Hotel, a 14th century hospital, now a tourist attraction and our home for the final 2 nights of our stay in Galicia. Being fortunate to stay in, and explore these palatial monuments along the Way has been such fun. Incredible! So much history to absorb.

We took the train from Santiago to Barcelona and flew home from there. We only had the night to walk around, but it’s charm, it’s Gaudí influence, it’s beauty, make this city one that I will definitely visit again.

Final thoughts

Like all good things, this trip had to come to an end. Six weeks! Five of which we walked… non stop, all day, practically everyday. I still have pain in my feet even though we’ve been home for nearly 4 days. But, was it worth it? Absolutely. It is a wonderful way to immerse oneself in the culture, a lovely way to see a country. The tears, the sweat, the laughter created this amazing adventure that I will never forget… although we did live most of it in a fog… those key moments will never be forgotten.

I’ve also enjoyed writing this blog and reading your comments so much I think I’ll have to continue in some form or other.

Gracias to all of you, for your support, your friendship and your kindness. You have helped us carry on.

During the last few days I’ve spent time reminiscing about our unexpected adventure. The last stretch has been beautiful, however it is much more crowded. To quote the extremely funny Australian we’ve reconnected with, “there’s nothing like trying to dodge a hundred happy school kids bouncing passed you as you’re descending the hill in front.” And speaking of hills, this part of the trek is more a long walk… difficulty level 1.

I suppose one could say we’ve created our own “Camino family” Which has been a welcome distraction from the alternate thoughts in my head. There is something healing about hearing their stories and knowing you’re not alone, even when you feel you are.

With an overnight stop in Arzua and a delicious meal in a very quaint and friendly restaurant, we are now off to Pedrouzo. A short 22 k in the rain. And did it rain! Downpour! We got separated. It was keep your head down, march on through and try not to get too muddy. That didn’t happen… we’re currently washing all our clothes and I found myself envious of the people with practical rain pants.

Yesterday, we visited a museum replica of a typical 400 year old Northern Spanish home.

And today we walked through a town, and down a lane past a bar that decorated with used beer bottles. Recycle and reuse! Creative souls everywhere.

I will miss days like these…

And Camino friends from every corner of our beautiful world….

On to Santiago tomorrow!

The last 100 k stretch of the Camino welcomes hundreds of “tourists” the people who want to get their certificate of completion without walking the whole Camino. Which is fine, however, we see several tour buses, school trips and other walkers joining us. Creating a much busier path. I don’t know if this is because it’s a weekend or if it would even make a difference, weekend vs weekday… But it’s busy, it’s louder … and we know I prefer the quiet.

Thankfully we are, indeed, seasoned pilgrims at this point and were able to hustle ahead of the crowds. Seeing people on the path with sore feet and also limping, reminded me of our first days. Not anymore!

This really is a lovely part of the walk. Easier as well. Rolling hills, beautiful views, well worn paths, more rest areas… it makes sense, it attracts many more people. It also makes you long… maybe just momentarily, for the quiet days in the meseta!

The Fichier bridge we crossed, entering Portomarin is a prominent landmark. Standing atop the Roman bridge below … which at times is submerged under water. We stood there awhile taking in the landscape, watching the distant fisherman below… don’t look too closely, you may get dizzy! It’s a long way down.

Tonight we rest here. Reminiscing about the day, walking through farmers fields , along ancient stone fences, as the birds fluttered around us and the country dogs lead the cows to pasture.

The time jumped back an hour tonight, making it feel later than it is. So I’m off to sleep and looking forward to seeing where our adventure takes us tomorrow.

Buenos noches chicos

I feel a bit lost for words today, but here goes!

Sarria – We started this walk one month ago, which is equivalent to roughly 670 km. What an experience so far. The past few days have been less arduous, fewer mountain trails and more gentle 200m climbs and descents. Oddly enough, 20 km in a day seems rather short now. We’ve been enjoying cake and local cheese for lunch! What are we going to do when we get home?

Today as we walked from Triacastela we reconnected with some people we haven’t seen in weeks. You see familiar faces which is comforting and you start to see relationships form… You realize the value the Camino has for some people, everyone with their unique story. I can’t quite place myself with those who have benefited from finding peace from this walk, (just yet). However, I can appreciate the inner peace they have found.

I still laugh every time I look at a menu… This part of Spain has a unique flair for fast food. Today we ordered a cheese plate … and yesterday for lunch, a ham sandwich and an egg sandwich… I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

This little guy popped up to say hello, but was speechless!

As we descended from Triacastela it became warmer and the layers of clothing came off. The perfect walking weather, on well worn trails through beautiful pine and chestnut forests. The ground thick with pine needles and chestnuts. Most paths have borders of centuries old fieldstone fences covered in moss, weeds and mushrooms. Often we cut through farmers fields and yards, welcomed by farm animals, most often a docile family dog.

Tomorrow we begin the last 100 k into Santiago.

Buenos noches

Yesterday, We walked 34 km in the rain and fog. Through the mountains, one tunnel, around, down and up. About 20 of it was, unfortunately, along the highway which didn’t make for such a great walk. The last part however, even though completely uphill, in the mud and in the fog, was quite enjoyable. You should see the bridges through the sky they’ve built that pass so high over our heads and through mountains. That in itself is something to see. Modern transportation meets old villages.

We reached O Cebreiro, in the province of Galicia towards the end of the day, drenched.

But that didn’t discourage us from looking around. This little village, sitting on top of the world, is home to thatch roofed houses. It’s fascinating. You feel like you’re walking through the movie set for the hobbit.

And we didn’t stop there! We then continued another 4km to Linars, along the most peaceful path. … but again, in the rain. This time however we were greeted by a dog who walked us out of town. He turned around a few times to make sure we were there, then waited at the top of the hill. As we turned the corner I looked back and only then did he turn around and go home.

On to Linars. All I can say about this town is that it has 6 buildings. A convenient store with an owner who makes you feel like you’re disturbing her, a few barns from 1930 and some chickens and a dog in heat. The dog in heat is important to mention, because since she’s in heat all the other dogs come to the window and howl all… night… long. Did I mention the dog in heat lives upstairs from where we were sleeping! Arriving here, staying here, after a long day of walking through the rain wasn’t a cup a tea and I may or may not have had a meltdown.

Today, to the contrary, the scenery and the weather were absolutely perfect. These views are spectacular. We meandered down little streets and path ways. Through villages and woodland. I can almost picture the people who have walked here before me. So serene. So enjoyable. Days like today are what the Camino is all about.

Some of these towns are so deserted I can imagine being a child playing in them would be so much fun… below is a tree in one of these towns, Ramil. Where if you look closely you’ll see a man picking the chestnuts off his roof. Wherever there are chestnut trees you can almost be certain that there will be a local picking the fallen nuts around the tree.

Finally we arrive in Triacastela. We’re sitting outside in the sun enjoying a nice local wine and a bite to eat. With the sun shining bright and the coolness in the air I feel like we’re sitting atop a mountain at the end of a warm ski day. And as I write this I have cats climbing all over me trying to get at the last of my paella. I am a cat lover so would dearly love to feed them but that’s a no, no.

Buenos Noches

It was another lovely day, walking in the warm drizzling rain. I can imagine this area would be quite pleasant on a sunny day. Capturing all the fall colours, in the many vineyards and mountain forests. My pictures don’t capture the beauty on this over cast morning.

The sun doesn’t rise until close to 9am, so we started taking our time in the mornings, to really take advantage of seeing the sights. Leaving Ponferrada we had time to explore the 12th century Templar castle.

Later, We encountered a young man in the woods with his food truck, playing vintage 70’s music … which we continued singing, while walking down the path through rolling hills dotted with vineyards. It’s interesting to see how the grape vines change colour and dry out after the harvest. In just one month the once vibrant plants are entirely different, preparing for winter.

Then, when enjoying the solitude in this quiet landscape, a group of 3 women came up behind us. They were loud talkers. Loud! … Was that an episode on Seinfeld? They talked and exclaimed and pontificated until I was crazy!!!! I wasn’t allowed to explain the etiquette of the Way to them, so with my mum we beetled it out of there. Uphill! Not so easy! But we lost them, and it was worth the sore feet and stress headache I gave myself. I eventually settled down as we entered Villafranca for the night. A village steeped in French history.

We are now enjoying a delicious glass of wine and listening to some wonderful Spanish music in a very trendy, surprising for where we are, tapas bar.

Buenos Noches

If I could sum up today with one word it would be, whiplash. We went from the peaceful serene mountains to the hustle of the city. From 3 degrees to 28 and from valleys to vineyards.

Let’s start at the beginning …

We woke up and the pension was enveloped by in clouds. It was damp and cool as we hiked the last 2km up to the highest peak of this journey, at 1,504 m.

The famous iron cross, atop a pillar surrounded by stones, was our next stop. This is a type of shrine. The Cruz de Ferro. A special area where people have long left the stone they’ve carried throughout their journey or pictures or messages. This is also where I intended to leave the picture I brought with me of my father. But as I was looking around at all the other messages and photos, I just couldn’t part with it. Instead I stood there heavy hearted with so many tears in my eyes I could hardly walk down the mountain of stones in front of me without tripping.

The walk descended from there and into the distance we could see snow covered mountains. The views, were magnificent but I can’t even describe them to their credit. We entered the next village, Manjarín, which is nestled into the mountainside. There is an outdoor lavatory on one side of the road and we can smell the aroma of wood burning from the little stone house across the street. Here 2 men will welcome you into their home and you can enjoy a cup of hot coffee, visit with their cat, have your Camino passport stamped and take a rest. This town is worth mentioning, not only because of these two interesting people but because they are also the only people who live here The rest of the village has been in ruins for years.

It was a long strenuous walk down through rocky, somewhat dangerous terrain. I like a challenge but this was pushing it quite a bit. We went up and down and then back up… up… up… and then UP… As far as the eye can see were sensational views. We were literally above the clouds. I found myself singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music.” The last scene in the movie as they are crossing Austria, those were the views we saw today. We were Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp children crossing the mountains. Breathtaking, and worth every minute of the walk just to be here.

As we were walking down this extremely steep path we walked into several more isolated yet very charming villages. Who lives here? … as we approached Ponferrada I have to admit it was a culture shock. We went from crossing picturesque, serene mountain into a warm micro climate with vineyards on one side of the street and modern houses on the opposite. Kind of surreal.

Today, a truly magical time.

We hiked up and into the village of Foncebadón today. The walk was relatively easy with spectacular scenery. The well worn paths were rocky and muddy as we climbed to 1400m through pine, poplar, and miniature oak trees. Once we reached the top we were surrounded by the most tranquil views. Slight fall colours. So beautiful.

The fence below, which meandered up the mountain beside the path, was covered with man made crosses …

Tonight we’ve booked a room in a charming little pension located at the top of the mountain. Panoramic views into the valley and the mountains beyond. We were warmly welcomed by the owner, his three year old daughter and their seventeen cats and kittens. Outdoor cats! The pilgrim menu of comfort food was delicious. Especially the pudding/ custard desert.

It’s raining now and the clouds are hugging the hills. I find it impossible to take a photo that would convey the beauty surrounding us.

For anyone planning to walk the Camino, this is the perfect place to land for the night!

Walking down into Astorga this afternoon with the sun peaking through the clouds, I was laughing to myself. All the people who said “it will get better, you have to pass through the meseta and out the other side… it will get better, I promise!” were completely right. You do need to weather the storm. In this case, hours of tedious waking through dreaded fields with no end in sight, to appreciate how far you’ve come.

It was a cold, bone chilling morning, sightseeing in Léon. We missed the first bus out of the city…! But we made the best of it and had more coffee and ate more carbs… every time you order a coffee in León you get a donut or piece of cake free.

And then we came across this handsome guy! So we had some fun…

We got off the bus at the closest village outside the city, to shorten the monotonous suburban drudge and walked nearly 17km into Astorga. Passing through a few villages on the way and then into the country, over rolling hills and through picturesque, peaceful landscapes. A few kilometres from our destination we met David, in a field. David has lived here for years and years with his little kiosk and words of wisdom….and he’s featured in the Camino book.

5 minutes before the picture below was taken a Shepherd and his flock passed by. We watched them climbing the hill in front of us, then quickly disappear from view. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a good photo of them. We did however pass by another handsome devil, just hanging out.

We arrived in Astorga, our home for the night. We learned, it is famous for it’s chocolate. You can all imagine I am one happy girl! And yes, the chocolate stores are open at night while all others are closed. It’s Sunday. I’ve never seen a town with so many candy stores, and open!

finally, across the street from where we lay our heads tonight stands a palatial building commissioned by a Bishop who never actually got to live in it… now it’s home to a museum…. I wonder what happened to him ?

Last night we stayed in a place called Reliegos. An ity bity town where the grocery store is the size of a walk-in closet and looks like it dates back to the 1800’s. The gregarious owner feeds the 14 cats in town… they’re so cute and scrawny I’d feed them too! The woman who runs our Albergue would not turn on the heat. I thought the two nights prior were bad, last night I seriously did sleep with my hat on. Then we woke up to rain.

We walked 6km with wet pants and a slight chill to the following town where I managed to convince my mother that we should get a ride into León instead of walking the wearisome and perhaps hazardous highway into the city from Manzillo and arriving late, wet and just wanting to sleep.

She said yes ! 🙏

I have to admit, that some people might feel that if we take the bus, we won’t be “real pilgrims.” But we’re ok with that.

León is lovely even in the rain! It’s the fourth city we’ve visited. Each unique in their own way. Here, the stores are open all afternoon, restaurants are overflowing with people eating drinking and laughing. So much laughter! It’s heartwarming. The Spanish really know how to enjoy themselves!

After traveling through some very unfortunate villages it is wonderful to experience the joie de vivre once again.

We just returned from visiting the XIII century cathedral. It has over 1000 stain glass windows. Each has a captivating story. It only took 50 years to build this incredible building.

It’s stunning.

Now let’s celebrate the halfway mark with a few pictures!

As requested here are a few pictures of my mother and myself, mostly me… And some people we’ve met along the way. And by the way, thank you for the comments, the texts and emails in response to our blog… they are wonderful to receive and keeping us going. Thank you ❤️

These towns are desolate. There are one or two more interesting things to see these days but unfortunately most buildings are crumbling before us. We’ve spent the last two nights in Albergues in the middle of northern Spain in the cold. The owners couldn’t be more caring but the heat only goes on for an hour at night and the hot water is available at 6 pm, for two hours, and you’d better use it, because in the morning…No Hot Water! I was never really a camper! Again, I have to question our sanity for undertaking this trip with no serious preparation.

It’s freezing. We have on our sweaters, vests and even toques, under all the blankets we could gather. I think we’ll move our beds together and cuddle to keep warm tonight!

Here are some pictures from today … the first one is so unusual, and very fascinating . Man made caves“ bodegas” dating back to the Roman epoch. Each family would make their wine here and store it for the upcoming year. Today, they are used for storage and parties.

Going to sleep, tomorrow we trek on …. Buenos Noches Chicos

The past few days of our journey have not been worth writing about. They’ve been long, hard, and exasperating. Through countless fields and only a couple of very sad villages… The wind is still howling and the terrain is so rough on our legs and feet, I want to scream. And I do, but know one can hear me. The winds drown out my voice.

However, the payoff for walking in such a bleak environment is getting the opportunity to stay in an old monastery. The Real Monasterio Zoilo date’s back to the 10th century and was transformed into a hotel in 1996, keeping the original facade. Gregorian chant music plays throughout the building. Very peaceful and moving. The hotel is attached to the church. There are small window peek holes carved here and there, through the stone, so you can see what lies on the other side.

The monastery has not been completely restored, nor will it ever be. However, The few floors which were, are absolutely exquisite. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in ancient times. The night we spend in this hotel actually made me feel I was transported to another time. It was majestic. But, you could also feel the cool air coming in through the windows, the floors creaking with every step and the walls echo. Very cool, but very spooky.

I am so happy we were fortunate to stay here, sleep where the monks did and walk the corridors where they would have lived, worshipped and worked.

They say there are two groups of people who walk through the meseta on the Camino. Those who go into deep reflection and those who want to gouge their eyeballs out.

Personally I have spent the better part of this year reflecting, therefore I have to unashamedly admit I take part in the second group.

One thing to mention, even though most of us hail from various countries and don’t share the same language, when we finally drag ourselves to the top of a mountain, everyone is equally relieved. Signing becomes the language of the Camino. So we see arms raised with excitement, huge grins, laughing, and sometimes crying, to express the total joy of succeeding.

The rest of the walk was rather tedious. Kilometres of dry farmland and barren hills. Not a peaceful minute due to the unrelenting wind howling through the fields The towns were spread 10 km apart and walking on stone paths made for very unhappy feet. It also rained off and on. On the bright side, we were able to wear the ponchos we brought!

Now we rest in fromista, the village that has 10 restaurants and won’t feed anyone before 7:30… when you’ve been walking all day, that’s bedtime, at least for us. So, we’ve been to the grocery store and are back in our room having a picnic.

Buenos Noches

We walked through the Meseta today. Translation, the plateau. Farm land for as far as the eye can see. Front, back, to the left, to the right…. it was the same view. The temperature was perfect, it was windy which made for an enjoyable walk, however, I wouldn’t want to get stuck out here alone.

The first part of our walk was mind numbing and tedious until we arrived at Hontanas. There was music playing, pilgrims sitting at cafe’s laughing and chatting, having a great time. Very welcoming.

The most intriguing part of our walk today was visiting a convent built in 1146. Former main abbey for the Antonian monks in Spain, it housed pilgrims and those who suffered from the “fire of San Antón” a disease that spread throughout the Middle Ages. Today, an Albergue is operating in the remains of the building.

Below the Castillo de Castrojariz from a distance and its village below. Our home for the night.

Buenos Noches

I sprained my ankle slightly and my mother’s been fighting a nasty cold … which I’m afraid I seem to be getting.

Interestingly enough we have only met a few people going on to Santiago. The majority of people travelling the way of St. James tend to come spend a week walking the path and return to complete it over time. I’ll be interested to see who we see at the end. We’ve also heard of many people injuring themselves, stress fractures, and having to leave. So, to avoid being one of those people we decided it was best to stay another night. Which has given us the opportunity to visit the spectacular cathedral, a few more times.

This cathedral is celebrating it’s 8th centenary in 2021. It’s massive. The detailing inside and out is exquisite. I could take a million pictures and never capture its beauty…

Although we’ve spent most of our time resting, we have had to go out to eat. Burgos is a lovely city, the Arlanzón river and city park running straight through the centre of town. Of course we can’t explore it all but the streets around the cathedral are packed with tapas bars and I find the people to be extremely friendly.

I also ate the most delicious olives I’ve ever had in my entire life. Those of you who know that our fridge at home is usually stacked with a variety of olives, they do not compare!

There are dozens of sculptures throughout the city. These are just a few …

It’s the Spanish National Holiday … we just went out for a few minutes and stumbled upon these bagpipers we had to share with you…

Buenos Noches

2 nights in Burgos to give our bodies a break and I couldn’t be happier!

I’ll make this short and write more tomorrow. Today I’m going to enjoy my afternoon with my mother as we visit the cathedral, say goodbye to our dear friend Lars who heads back to Denmark tomorrow and most importantly we will celebrate my mother’s birthday.

It’s hard to believe that a year ago she was celebrating in Italy with my father…. what a difference, a shattering difference, a year can make.

So we’re off to try to enjoy ourselves. But I’ll leave you with some pictures. It was a rocky day….

This mornings title was going to be Omg my legs or … I can’t move or No please, not another day! But we got up and we made it to our next destination, even though every muscle in our bodies ache. Muscles I didn’t even know I had are waking up to say hello!!

Last night we stayed in another hospital converted into an Albergue/hotel originally built in 1377. I swear the furniture is original from that time, dust, dead flies and all. It’s over the top decor was fascinating, but also very odd. À la Norman Bates

We left late today, a shorter distance to travel. it was overcast, raining lightly which made for a easier walk than walking in the heat. We walked in a larger group and with our multi colours rain gear, looked like a pack of skittles walking down the path.

It was foggy for the better part of the day until we left San Juan de Ortaga. Then, the sun came out just in time to walk up over the hills, through the cow pastures and down into Agés on our way to Atapuerca.

Tonight we’re staying in a very small pension. Our room is over the bar, with a communal bathroom that has a shower curtain with pink unicorns on it. I’m wearing my earplugs as I write this because the music is too loud and the walls are so thin I can’t hear myself think … the door to our room is also missing a few inches at the bottom. But the woman who owns the place couldn’t be more hospitable and kind. Which to me, makes the world of a difference.

And a plus, since the bar’s right downstairs, there’s no need to venture out. Buen provecho y bueno noches!

“It’s the little things in life”

Today’s walk has been boring and so very very long. 34.4km to be exact. We’re sitting in an adorable restaurant right off the path to Villafranca. These are the type of authentic Spanish stops that make this journey so interesting … we might not have stopped if the sun wasn’t so strong.

We’ve walked nothing but flat surfaces through fields, mostly along the side of the highway today, not very glamorous. By 11:30 we had walked over 21,000 steps in the heat. The number had probably almost tripled by this point.

Although it hasn’t been most interesting terrain to travel it doesn’t mean we don’t have a few stories to tell!

Leaving Santo Domingo we took the road out of the city instead of the path…. walking through the dark, the police stopped us and escorted us out.

Next we stopped at an Albergue and left when I was yelled at,and I mean yelled at for taking a picture of their 5 ft long pool. I didn’t undress and jump in, I just took a picture. Wasn’t justified, she just wanted to scream. And that she did….

then we left and walked into Balaroda, where we saw the most incredible stork nests built into a church roof. These were simply amazing to see. The photo doesn’t do them justice.

We’re going to walk the last 5 km now and crash as soon as we arrive at our destination. The pictures from today aren’t that fascinating.

Buenos Noches

My uncle David did this walk roughly 10 years ago. Since my mother and I began our journey we’ve been emailing back and forth comparing notes. He mentioned that some of the villages we were about to walk through were greatly affected by the recession. We saw the devastation today. It was an unbelievably eerie experience to walk through one of the towns. You could see that at one time it had been prosperous. Street after street of houses. Beautiful modern style condominiums and Swiss style town houses now sit completely empty and even unfinished.

The walk to Sto Domingo, in comparison, was an easy one. Through more vineyards and over the plains through fields, we followed one another. Normally we have at least a few hours where we rarely see anyone. Today we were all going at the same steady pace.

The group of people we’re walking with couldn’t be kinder. There is an organized group from Korea, incredibly sweet people. Also we met Beth from California, another man from Ireland, Gerry, and Lars from Denmark. Thank you Lars for holding our polls when we needed to get something out of our bag… for the 100 th time! This journey has brought so many interesting people into our lives.

Tonight we were spoiled by an amazing man who booked us a room in a former 12th century hospital built by St. Dominic to take in travelling pilgrims on their way to St. James. It’s charming, it’s majestic and it’s worth walking into, if even just for a peek…. AND I have my feet soaking in the bathtub… yes bathtub, in the room as I write this! Heaven.

Unfortunately the monastery is closed! It’s supposed to be gorgeous. I was looking forward to visiting it… however we did see the steeple from a distance… in fact we could see it for miles as we walked down the hills and into the town.

Buenos Noches to all of you, thank you for following our way. XO

Omg! I’ve never walked so much in a day. I arrived at our hostel, fell over on my bed and fell asleep for an hour fully dressed in my dirty clothing from all the dust that sprays up on us while walking.

But what a walk! What a beautiful walk. More of the same scenery but just as captivating as the previous day. Vineyards for miles … miles! All the work that goes into the wines that we drink… we’re walking through all of these orchards of grapes… it’s harvest season… Some by machinery and some even by hand

Today, we foolishly followed the advice of an elderly lady who sent us in the wrong direction leaving Logroño! When you read about people who spend hours trying to find their way out of the city while traveling the Camino … they are writing about Logroño. What a confusing city to leave!

The same old lady gave, Lars, a man from Denmark, the same directions. We found ourselves lost with him and having to backtrack, not far, but enough. This is a city that doesn’t sleep. People drunk in the streets, broken bottles everywhere…. as we’re trekking out of town. Thankfully it wasn’t just the two of us wondering the streets in the dark hours of the morning.

30km today, can you believe it, because I can’t! It was warm, yet overcast. Therefore we were able to keep a pretty steady pace without the sun beaming down on us. But it was a challenge none the less!!! Stopped to have our sandwiches in a park, there are sandwiches everywhere in Spain… everywhere. This or tortilla or hamburgers. We only went through one village on our way here… To be able to pick up supplies. Yet the Spaniards have caught on and they started setting up food trucks and selling water and food from the back of their vans! So cleaver.

This evening we had tapas in one of the courtyards… this city is quite fascinating. The city was built into a mountain … however these mountains have secret living spaces and walking paths through them. The monastery was also built into the mountain. Amazing!

What an adventure!

27.5 km. If anyone out there feels sorry for our feet, thank you. I keep trying to figure out how I can invent a cloud insole for my shoes.

We left before the birds woke up and made it 7km to the following village before the sun rose. Trying to escape the heat. We passed vineyard after vineyard and farm land after farm land… and climbed hill after hill. It’s remarkable to see how they use every inch of their land for either vines or olive trees.

Viana is the next big town on the way to Logroño. We stopped here for lunch. Viana, like all the other towns we’ve seen on our journey is beautiful. But what set Viana apart for both my mother and I was the kindness of the people. I dropped 5€ and a man ran down the street yelling “ señorita, señorita” to give it to me. We bought a few necessities at a local store, the owner ran out and down the street to give us 2 Canada/Camino pins. With yet Another man, I had a very broken Spanish conversation and while scratching the back of his head with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, he offered to drive us to Logroño for 2€. He said, it’s so far, your poor feet. He was right !

Again, it’s so hot out today. By the time we get to our destination we are just zapped. … although in about an hour it will be so cold we’ll be wearing our down jackets. Last night we ate outside with our jackets on, hoods up and gloves on…. no the restaurants did not have seating inside.

Off to find something delicious for dinner and a nice glass of Rioja wine… since now we have reached the Rioja valley.

Bueno noches … here is our day in a few photos

Most of this post will be in pictures but I did want to add a little something…

It’s a beautiful walk through the country side. These old villages have so much charm…. walking it adds to the beauty. You never know who you’re going to meet. Personally, I start my day just wanting to be alone with my thoughts… and my tears… and then out of the blue appears a few people who pick you up. Such a thing happened with Tim and Shane, who made my mother and I laugh practically all day yesterday. I shared our story with them and I feel the need to write about them because I don’t want to forget what genuinely kind souls these two individuals are. Complete strangers who wanted to hear why I was out here. They didn’t mind my ranting, they didn’t mind my tearing up, they sympathized and were compassionate. To Tim and Shane if you are reading this, thank you. You brought a little light into our lives, and a whole lot of laughter. You also played a very bad practical joke on me, that ended in the deepest belly laughs. I will play it on others… to everyone else, beware!

Today’s journey took us across a couple villages, a whole lot of fields, straight to a food truck in the middle of one.

I think everyone on the path today went a little loco. We left Estella early, but the afternoon heat just zaps everything you have, especially walking through farmers fields for hours, with no shelter from the sun except the occasional tree you find yourself huddling under with a few musicians

Last night we stayed at the entrance of Puente la Reina. We were so tired we didn’t walk much more than a few steps down to the restaurant and back up to our room. this morning as the birds woke, we explored as we exited the city.

Honestly I feel like our lives write like a story book. I’m not kidding when I say that we were literally talking about how this walk was pretty easy, in comparison, and rather boring. And then, out of nowhere we were walking down a winding road, a Jeep full of pumped up Spanish hunters came blazing up. They came so fast I screamed, my mother and the hikers behind her all jumped in the ditch as I was waving my sticks at them and the next 4 cars to follow them.

We continued on to the next village, just in time for lunch. I have to emphasize how much I love these old romantic villages and I fantasize about the lives of the people who once lived here and roamed these streets. The restaurant we ate at we found just in time to give our feet a break. We took off our shoes, ordered some tortillas, some coffees and cake and told ourselves that today we were resting for an hour before getting back on the trail in order to give our legs the proper break they needed. With that said…. as soon as our food came, construction on the road , literally right outside started. Not just any construction, a drill was drilling the cement… dust everywhere. We all helped cover the food, hiding our faces in napkins, closing the doors … we just don’t get these experiences at home!

We carried on and came across some of the same, yet amazing scenery.

And then we see this random stop sign to nowhere??

That’s it for now, I’m going to enjoy my well deserved glass of wine with my mother and enjoy our evening in the beautiful Estella.

It takes 15 minutes to drive from Pamplona to Puente la Reina. It takes 8 hours to walk here through the mountains. I feel like the monks could have used a better route, no?

Even after a day of rest we were limping on our way out of the city. We decided carrying our bags just wasn’t possible. So we turned around, went back to the hotel and had them sent to our next destination. Best decision we could have made. Walking 20km without backpacks is gruelling enough, with the extra 20 pounds it’s just self inflicted punishment.

Take two…. we head out of the city, we stoped for coffee, a tortilla, maybe a croissant. I have to add in, everyone around us was drinking beer, only when we left did we read the sign outside and realize we were in the casino café. Then we bought an English Spanish dictionary, limped a little more… even without the backpacks, and then we walked…and then we get lost. Admiring the scenery, talking too much and taking photos we ended up following a sign for an Albergue as opposed to the trail sign. Note: Albergues can be misleading! They’ll use the same colours as the trail uses to map out the next town (blue and yellow). Fortunately we were only thrown off the route by 15 minutes or so… but, those 15 minutes are sacred when walking for so long! We’ll definitely be more vigilant from now on.

The air was slightly cooler today, and was extremely windy at the top of the mountains. At one point we were surrounded by windmills… and as we got closer to the top of the mountain and looked up, I was afraid they were going to swing off and take us down the mountain with them. You could hear the wind going through them… it was rather spooky.

Reaching the top was absolutely amazing. 360 views of the country side, as far as one could see. Words can’t describe the beauty. Also, the sculptures at the summit depicting the travellers of yesteryear, crossing as we are today, were a poignant reminder of those who passed this way for centuries. Well worth the hike up this mountain to begin our decent into the valley below.

The walk down is known to twist a few ankles. Proud to say we successfully made it unscathed. But it is tough walking on huge pebbles. It also makes the 13 more km we had to walk… so… much…longer! But we did it, laughing the whole way. The more hours we’re out here we realize the old saying is true, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

These are long days!

Walking 20+ km in a day is exhausting, especially in 40 degree heat when there isn’t a breath of wind. I felt like I was in the desert! Although, you do feel extremely proud of yourself for accomplishing what you just did once arriving at your destination. Even though in the moment, you question your sanity for taking on such a challenge.

The walk yesterday, from Zubiri to Pamplona, twisted and turned! We walked up hillsides on narrow paths, if someone was coming in the opposite direction you wonder how you would get around them, incredibly narrow. We walked through really quaint towns…. some of the houses on the route are so stunning and, in the moment, I question who lives out here, in the middle of nowhere, in such beautiful homes. I began to see places that were used in the film “The Way”. Can you pick out what scenes these photos are from?

We had a place reserved in Pamplona, so decided to take our time in the morning leaving Zubiri, but I must admit we did stop about 30 times throughout the day to adjust our equipment and escape the sun. Laughing a little… possibly crying a bit more.

Note to self and others who may do this journey: don’t risk it, leave early enough so you don’t get caught in the afternoon sun!

We also understand why people tend to send their bags ahead to their next destination. Carrying an extra 15-20 pounds the entire time seems mad. Alas, we’ve decided to walk one more day with them and possibly send them on in the future!

More on Pamplona. It is a spectacular city. I can see why they recommend taking two days here. One, the rest is needed. Two, it’s a charming old city. The streets are full of life. The old buildings, sculptures, citadel, parks and the many many churches are just breathtaking. And, even though the old city of Pamplona is a hike to get up to after a long day, it is typical European beauty.

Today we went exploring the city … we ate the most delicious croissants, I don’t know what they put in them, almond extract, lots of butter, whatever it is… they are to splendid. My mother and I were mistaken for locals a few times, we were asked for directions by pilgrims and oddly enough, knew where to send them. Also, by a tv crew, and we all had a good laugh when we couldn’t understand what we were being interviewed for. Other than that, we’ve relaxed today in preparation for the hike to Puente de la Reina tomorrow. Buenas noches

The lights came on at 6 am in the Albergue… but by 5am people were already up scurrying around. The Albergue, an old Monastery, was extremely clean, with a wonderful vaulted ceiling on the third floor which is where we slept, side by side in 2 single beds, but sleeping in a room with 50 strangers and using one bathroom, although it’s part of the experience and we’re glad we did it… is just not our thing. So, day 2, today, we were lucky to get the last room at Pension USOA… the owner is adorable, the room cost 38€ and we have our own bathroom! So happy! They seem to keep the best room for last, so far, in this regard, we’ve lucked out!

Especially after the day we just had…. yes, the second day is said to be easier and it definitely is, however it’s still demanding… we walked up but mostly down… we walked on some nice stone paths in the middle of the woods, which I found were quite random yet appreciated… and some not so nice stone paths… sharp jagged stones, hard on the feet and straight downhill … I’m not sure of the elevation but we did walk over 4,000 feet UPHill yesterday… and no, I did not mistakenly add a 0 … although I wish I had! Today, I think we walked down sharp loose rocks for nearly a Km straight down…. It was tough !! Our feet are sore… our bodies are sore, but at least everyone on the street feels the same!

We met other hikers today, Phil and Rebecca from Maine and Michael from Chicago, great people…. Funny story, by kilometre 6 we were all saying. “this isn’t so bad, maybe we’ll continue past Zubiri” boy were we kidding ourselves…. ps the people that were “definitely” passing through Zubiri, we just saw them walking around the village. As much as the idea of continuing on a bit further sounds practical, it’s just not possible, at least not for most of us.

One more note on our experience so far, everything works on the honour system here. You need a room, here’s the key, you need your laundry done… they’ll do it. They don’t ask for anything, you almost have to hunt them down to pay them!

Again, we’re in a small village so unfortunately we can’t post any pictures… the internet is just not strong enough. Hopefully it will be stronger in Pamplona at which time I’ll come back to post them! Until then picture small villages, kilometres apart, with terracotta roofs… 2 ladies with sore legs and feet Walking for miles in 40 degree weather. I guess we didn’t need that down jacket after all!

We woke up in the dark…. left the key to the room on the front desk, unlocked the front door of the hotel and ventured out. We laughed as we forgot to inquire in which direction to walk. But, soon, we spotted a few other pilgrims and with our bags on our backs, we followed one another out of the city… but not before stopping for a cup of coffee and a croissant on our way out of town.

And then we walked…. and we walked and we walked… and we climbed and then climbed some more… and then some more. Just when we would get to a bend in the road and think maybe it would be flat on the other side, for a change, it wasn’t. So we climbed some more. As if going up wasn’t hard enough, coming down was brutal. Anyone who ever tells you the first day of this walk isn’t brutal is simply lying. I don’t care how much you train for it… it’s brutal, and long. But the views and the experience makes it more than worth it. The amazing scenery, walking with numerous herds of sheep and beside free range horses with bells clanging on their necks. Have you ever seen such a thing? The fattest horses we’ve ever seen with short little legs wearing bells. Experiences you just don’t get every day.

What else happened? Among the numerous people walking here, we met a very nice father and daughter duo, Roy and Noa, from Israel, walking for his 50th birthday. An energetic Korean man and Joshua, a young man from Germany. We kept crossing each other’s paths , but mostly walked alone.., funny enough our beds are all side by side in the Albergue. …. yes we stayed in the Albergue!!! We couldn’t walk any further, even if we wanted to!

One last thing, I am also proud to say, no blisters! Neither my mother nor myself! … although coming down was rough and our feet hurt, like really hurt, but no blisters!

Going to eat our pilgrim meal and then straight to bed … with some ear plugs 💤

So first things first, we are so glad to be going on this adventure… and we knew backpacking was going to be an adventure in itself … vacationing can’t always be glamorous! On that note, we needed to share this story …

We haven’t even started our hike into Spain yet and I’ve pinched a nerve in my neck, I’ve had a migraine for weeks now, that won’t go away and if that wasn’t enough, we picked up bed bugs! Now, I don’t know for certain if they are beg bugs…. but what I do know is, my face looks like a chocolate chip cookie and my arms are so itchy I’ve bruised myself scratching. Needless to say, we’ve been laughing none stop wrapping our clothing in plastic bags and spending most of the day in the laverie.

Yesterday, we walked Bordeaux… sightseeing turned into shopping…

So of course we missed our train and had to wait another 3 hours, not such a big deal, and in fact had a few great conversations at the train station… mostly all trying to figure out if we were waiting for/and got on the right train… wasn’t exactly well indicated… but, when in doubt, you follow the sea of backpacks!

We arrived late in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, after having a stop in Bayonne… yet we were fortunate enough to find a room in the first hotel we walked into. They seem to work on the honour system here, not even having asked for our names or a credit card.

Here’s a few pictures from the last couple of days …

It’s been non stop the last few days….Time to sleep.

Tomorrow we make our way south to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port by train. We’ll leave a day or two later from there.

We decided to rest a day or two in Bordeaux. We’re staying in the cutest B&B, which I totally recommend! It’s quaint and lovely… and the owners are so kind!

Sleeping on the plane didn’t really happen… so it’s nap time!

One month ago today my father passed away. It was a day I wish had never come, a day that instantly changed our lives and instantly changed who I am.

I still haven’t wrapped my head around the last 8 month, since he fell ill, the last month, since he passed, or even the last week since his funeral.

A few days after the funeral we asked ourselves, what do we do now? The only thing that didn’t sound completey depressing was… walk the Camino! Though we’ve always wanted to do it, the right time had never come up… however, now, in this moment, while suffering this tragic loss, we feel the timing couldn’t be better.

In the last 6 days since we booked our flights we haven’t had a moment to think about anything else than needing the right clothing, the right bag and how to walk 800 km without completely destroying our feet and living out of a backpack.

So our adventure begins! No, we have not trained for this trip and I for one haven’t even broken in my shoes! … but we’re doing this. We’re walking the Camino. We’re going to take this journey and possibly heal even just slightly, and try to enjoy our lives if we can… because if there is anything the last 8 months has taught us, it’s that life is way too short and it can be taken from you way too fast.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure, thanks for supporting us and most of all thanks for taking care of us and loving us.

💜

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Stay tuned …. If you’d like to see how this adventure unfolds, I’ll mostly post pictures from time to time