Camino de Santiago - Day 14

Villlafranca to Vega de Valcarce- 16 km. We decided to have a shorter day today because we are both a bit sore from yesterday.  We had thought that things would be getting easier by now but we're still feeling tired and sore at the end of the day. The day  started a bit overcast but the sun came out in the afternoon.  The mountains are beautiful with the trees changing color. The walk was mostly near the road which was a bit annoying but it was scenic as we passed between the mountains.   We finished the day early in a small but very scenic village. The owners of the Alberque where super nice offering us some of their food.  

Camino de Santiago - Day 12

Acebo to Ponferrada - 17 Km

Today we hiked down the mountain to a larger town = 60,000 people.  The mountain trails were beautiful but rocky and technical to navigate. Legs and body feel good but our feet get so sore, especially on the super rocky terrain.

As we neared Ponferrada we had some crappy walking through the suburbs and on the roads. This was a rude awakening after hiking up and down the beautiful and quiet mountain passes for the last few days. On our way into town we stopped at a farmacy and picked up some blister stuff, electrolyte mix for our water bottles and sunscreen. The sunscreen reminds me to mention that we have had only two rain days and lots of sun! We are so lucky! It is cold in the morning and we wear our down jackets but strip down to tshirts by the afternoon.

So finally arriving in Ponferrada, we arrive to amazing views of two church steeples and a castle. The guidebook described that the castle was built and inhabited by the nights templar, who was in charge of overseeing the safety and well being of pilgrims on this same route a thousand years ago! We took a very speedy tour of the restored castle (they were closing in an hour). Solomon was literally running to see the various attractions. It was amazing! The castle was built in the early 1100s.

We have a nice place tonight overlooking the castle with a very rare bathtub for soaking sore legs & feet!!!

Tomorrow we hope to have recovered a little bit after a shorter day today. Many people that started a few hundred Km before us are regularly doing 20-30 Km. We have are averaging a little bit shy of 20 Km but hope to be getting acclimated to some longer days soon to make up some time.

Camino de Santiago - Day 11

Rabanal to Acebo 18km

It was a beautiful day walking up and over the highest point on the Camino (5000 ft) We gained over 2000 ft of elevation.  We had amazing views throughout the day.

Camino de Santiago - Day 10

We started the day in Astorga by visiting the cathedral.  It's truly amazing that almost every town in Spain has an incredible church.  Astorga also has a palace designed by Antonio Gaudi. I knew he was famous for his work in Barcelona on the "Sagrada Familia" but i dis t expect to see so much more of his work while we are traveling in the north. What a nice suprise!

After touring in town we then headed out to begin our journey through the country.  It was mostly uphill through the scenic countryside.  It was much greener than some of the previous areas.  We had breakfast in a small town after hiking for a few hours. We ran into a new friend, Stephanie, who is from Dublin. She is here alone and wanted to walk with us so we spent the afternoon chatting and hiking.

  We arrived in the beautiful town of Rabanal tired but very content. At this point our legs are very well adjusted to the miles but our feet usually force us to stop before the rest of our bodies are tired.

Camino de Santiago - Day 9

Today turned out to be a super rainy day.   Although it was a shorter hike we slogged through the rain the whole way.  Early in the day there was some road construction that had turned the path into a mud soup. The clay was slippery underfoot and stuck to our boots.  Once we got out of the mud it began to really pour down rain.  Our cheap ponchos were being overwhelmed and we were getting cold when we came upon an oasis of sorts.   Half way to our destination there was an amazing couple who were helping pilgrims by providing food, drink, and a warm fire.  It felt like heaven so we lingered for quite a while, possibly too long because we had a hard time getting going again. We arrived in Astorgas tired and wet and found a place to stay at San Javier Alberque run by a church.  It's warm here and we are happy to be out of the rain. We covered about 12 kilometers today.

Camino de Santiago - Day 8

We started today in Mazarife had breakfast at the hostal and started walking as the sun rose. We had another 20 Km day. We stopped a few times along the way and had coffee & some food. Our feet are feeling a little better today and I think our legs are also getting used to the walking.

We are thinking of getting some treking poles. Lots of people use them and I orginally had thought they were ridiculous and totally unnecesary. However, it looks like the terrain will be getting much steeper with some challenging down-hill sections. Both Sol and I agree that we would WAY rather climb up than go down. The steep down-hill sections are so hard on the knees! You work hard going uphill but it seems way easier for some reason. I think the poles help take some weight off your knees & back when climbing. Also - we have sadly had some scary encounters with Dogs. Twice in one day we were run down by Pitt Bulls that turned out to be friendly, albeit horribly behaved. In any case, having a large dog run at you when you are not sure if it is nice is terrifying. Today I had a German Shepard come after me while Sol was trying to grab a rock or stick. It was growling loudly and I was super scared. Luckily it had on a muzzle. The owner said the dog wasnt friendly. You think? How about a leash???!!  Yikes!  In any case, I would feel much better if I had a pole to swing at studid dogs! :)

We arrived tonight in a nice, sleepy little town and are having fun talking with people we are meeting. It is really fun to get to know lots of other people and share stories from along the way. Sol and I had a beer and a snack this afternoon as dinner is served at 7 and we were hungry!

This experience so far, even though very challenging, has been super rewarding. We are meeting amazing people and are lucky enough to have the opportunity to slow down and enjoy Spain at a very slow pace! It is amazing what you can observe and notice that you would otherwise miss in a car or train!  I personally feel really proud of the meeting the physical demands of walking on tough terrain all day with a pack. It is amazing how light and free you feel at the end of the day when you drop your pack!

We are hoping to arrive in Santiago some time around the beginning of November.

Camino de Santiago - Day 7

Today we traveled from Leon to Mazarife on a walk that was roughly 20 Km.  Even after resting some yesterday, our feet are so sore! We are lucky to not have horrible blisters like some people but it is amazing how sore your feel can get from walking all day on rough terrain and also carrying a heavy pack.

We arrived in Mazarife and had a wonderful experience in our hostal.  All of the guests (12 or so of us) sat around the fire and introduced ourself. It was an amazing group of all ages and nationalities. One couple had walked from Switzerland. A few ladies we had met on our very first day.

The "hosteleros", hostel owners, were absolutly lovely! You could tell they loved what they did. We were served a four course meal family style together in the hostal. It was the best food we had since arriving in Spain.