November 29, 2024
Day 23: Foncebadon to Ponferrada – 26.7km (16.6 miles) 50,600 steps
I haven’t had the right words to describe our experience today climbing up to the Iron Cross. It was a powerful moment, and I think we are all forever changed.
The Iron Cross, or Cruz de Ferro, is at the loftiest point on the Camino de Santiago. It is one of the oldest markers on the Camino. Some believe it was erected by Charlemagne in the 8th century. Reaching the cross is an emotional experience for most pilgrims, because it represents the most difficult parts, the trials and tribulations of the Camino, and the strength it took to overcome these hurdles. But it seems to touch even deeper than that. Traditionally pilgrims also bring a rock from their homeland to represent the loved ones they have lost, and their metamorphosis on this challenging journey.
We left the albergue just before sunrise making the final 2km climb to the cross (we made most of the climb yesterday). As we climbed we kept looking for the cross but it was never visible until we came right up on it. For some reason we were expecting something much larger and grander. It was a simple, thin cross, a light silhouette against the brightening sky. Somehow it was perfect.
We each had our moment at the cross, placing our stones, remembering our loved ones and feeling the power and transformation of this journey. I was in tears as I stepped down off the mound of rocks. We hugged one another with emotion, and then stood in silent contemplation looking at the sun rising up over the mountains and backlighting the cross. It was extraordinarily beautiful.
I remember thinking how special it was that it was just the four of us in this intimate moment. I imagine in the busier times there are 100s of people up here watching the sunrise. Instead, we shared this moment with just a handful of people we had known for less than a month, but who are now friends for life.
After the cross, we continued to climb up through the mountains, just a kilometer or two more before beginning the big descent. Today was one of the most challenging parts of the Camino so far, mostly because the trail is extremely rocky. Still, I really enjoyed the walk because I felt like I was hiking again. The views from the mountains to the valleys and towns below were incredible. It was such an unforgettable experience.
Our destination this day was Ponferrada. A lively city of 60,000 people with an impressive Knights of Templar Castle built in 1178 to protect pilgrims walking the Camino. It also has a treasure trove of over 1400 rare and historical books.
Tonight was also the official night for turning on all the Christmas lights. The city was abuzz with families out on the town. enjoying the festivities, and they even roasted chestnuts at our albergue. Chestnuts are a specialty of this new region we are in, Bierzo. El Bierzo is known for specific architectural styles, wine, cuisine and culture. It is distinct because it is surrounded by mountains on all sides (which we keep climbing!)
November 30, 2024
Day 24: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo – 23.6km (14.7 miles) 41,814 steps
Everything hurt today from yesterday’s descent. So even though it was mostly flat today and the terrain was easier, we struggled. I thought by now that walking the Camino would be easy, but no, every day presents a new set of challenges. A metaphor for life!
We are back in wine country now, so the backdrop is gorgeous: rolling hills of vineyards, some of the twisted vines still bearing fall leaves. The undulating path should have been serene and tranquil if it hadn’t been for our aching feet and calves every time we went up or down a hill. Oof, ugh, ouch!
The primary grape grown in Bierzo is Mencia. Aron was hoping to do a wine tasting somewhere along the path. We stopped at a coop just outside of Camponaraya. Aron wanted to buy their best bottle, which was only €12.50, but I thought it would be better to wait. According to maps, the area was chock full of bodegas. We should be able to pick and choose to our heart’s delight.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. Not a single bodega was open, not even those that said so. Aron did find one cellar in the town of Cacabelos with an open door. It was dark and dank, and dirty. Locals huddled around a makeshift table as a grizzled man poured liquid from unlabeled glass containers. Red or white he offered (more like bruised purple or yellowed dirty water) at 50 cents a tasting. Aron asked me to ask the man if he was the winemaker in Spanish. I did not see that as a useful question. This was not the experience we were looking for.
Aron finally gave up on finding a good local bottle of wine. We huffed and puffed up the hills through countless villages before we reached our destination, Villafranca del Bierzo. It appears to be a lovely little town but all we could think about was getting the backpack off and resting our feet. Rest has become the most important part of our day. It is the only thing (besides sustenance) that will get us through tomorrow. And tomorrow we have the last big climb of the Camino, the trek up to O’Cebreiro.
December 1, 2024
Day 25: Villafranca del Bierzo to O’ Cebreiro – 28.4 km (17.5 miles) 43,298 steps
Our albergue owner told us that today would be a breeze, especially compared to the steep rocky descent we took 2 days ago. Just 20 kms of flat and then 8 kms straight up, he said nonchalantly. No big deal, ha!
He was definitely right about the first part. We left Villafranca via a tunnel through the mountain and had stunning views all morning as we walked along a peaceful flowing river and a not so busy road. It was lovely and tranquil and flat, and gave no sign of the insufferably difficult climb that was to come.
We passed through many quaint villages still featuring the stone houses and wooden balconies of the Bierzo region. But small things are beginning to change as we approach Galicia, known for its Celtic roots and steadfast independence. At one point I heard Celtic music seeping out from one of the homes. Some of the buildings were rounded with thatch roofs, known as a palloza. And we were offered caldo soup and tarta de Santiago, both specialties of Galicia.
At long last we reached Herrerrias, the final town before the climb. We saw Choi, a Korean pilgrim sitting outside a bar taking a break. “Is it open,” Aron asks. “Yes,” Choi answers, “everyone is in there.”
By everyone, he meant pretty much every pilgrim we knew walking this section today was gathered inside the bar amassing the energy needed to climb the big hill. There were approximately 10 of us by the time we arrived: eating, drinking and telling stories in an attempt to forget the difficulty of the task before us. Several of the group were planning to cook a community dinner at the albergue that night, including Choi who would be making a Korean dish. Definitely something to look forward to!
And then we were climbing the hill. It was brutal, no doubt about it. Some parts were extremely steep: through mud, over rocks, and on slippery wet leaves. But less than 2 hours later we had all made it to the top, to O’Cebreiro. And we were now officially in Galicia.
O’Cebreiro is very touristy. As we reached the top of the hill, sweaty and dirty and tired, we were greeted by a group of folks dressed to the nines in wool fur lined coats and stylish footwear. Bravo! they shouted from a place of luxury and comfort. My mouth said Gracias, but my nose wrinkled in distaste. While they would likely be retreating to a toasty warn hotel, our exhausted bodies would be sleeping on plastic sheets in a drafty albergue with lukewarm showers. I must remind myself, it’s all part of the adventure!
Later that evening we celebrated with our community dinner. A Spanish pilgrim named Jose has turned out to be quite the storyteller. He is fun to watch, even when I don’t understand everything he is saying, because he is so dramatic in his telling. He has many stories from Galician culture and has promised to make us a traditional drink called “queimada”, also known as a witches’ brew. If you look it up on Wikipedia, it even includes the accompanying spell.
Paco, another Spanish pilgrim, brought local Galician treats to share with the group. He loves the Camino so much, he spends one week a year walking a portion of it. I am thankful for these pilgrims contributions on this journey because we have learned a lot about unique local customs.
We are down to 160km and 1 week of walking!
December 2, 2024
Day 26: O’ Cebreiro to Triacastela – 21.1 km (13.1 miles) 35,733 steps
Luckily today was a shorter day because my body ached absolutely everywhere from yesterday’s climb. We had one last steep climb before we mostly descended down to Triacastela. The route was beautiful, but difficult to enjoy at times. One foot in front of the next, I told myself. We’ve got this.
We had the best tortilla of the trip at the top of the final climb. In Spain, a tortilla is an omelette with potatoes. What a smart place to have a cafe! We also shared some of their fresh orange juice. It was so good.
We arrived in Triacastela shortly before 3pm, which gave us most of the afternoon to relax. I set myself up in front of the fireplace reading a book and planning the final days of our walk. It was cozy and comfy, and just what the body needed. Aron tried out the massage chair this time, which looked heavenly.
Later, Aron went to the bar next door and was chatting with some other pilgrims. Usually the conversation begins with, “where did you start your camino?” These young folks had started in Villafranca the day before and had taken a taxi up the steep hill to O’Cebreiro. When Aron told them we had started in St Jean Pied de Port in France 26 days ago and walked every step of the way, their jaws dropped.
This has been a very difficult but rewarding accomplishment. Tomorrow we walk to Sarria, which will mark the last 100km of the trip!
December 3, 2024
Day 27: Triacastela to Sarria – 18.7 km (11.6 miles) 31,339 steps
This may have been the shortest day of our entire walk and it was glorious. We arrived into Sarria shortly past 1pm with no major aches or pains. We sat down to tapas with Katharina and were relaxing in our hotel room by 2pm. Ahhh, almost a vacation.
We actually had an option today to walk a little bit further to see the oldest monastery in Europe or to walk a shorter route and get into Sarria earlier. As far as I know, everyone chose the shorter route based on an afternoon forecast of .75 inches of rain. It was just starting to spit our last hour into Sarria, but we avoided the bulk of it. Also, the monastery was closed one day a week, and it just happened to be that day (Tuesday).
The landscape here in Galicia definitely feels a bit more like home. An area known for its rain with lots of green, moss, ferns, etc. Aron even found some chanterelle mushrooms. No big evergreens though. Just lots and lots of chestnut trees. The ground was littered with wet fall leaves, the spiky chestnut fruit, and a jumble of rocks. Cows were everywhere with their strong scents intermixed with the smell of decay and rot in most of the small villages. You can feel the ancientness of this place in every tiny chapel, every broken stone wall, and every cobblestone street.
Once again, we spent the afternoon resting. We all feel refreshed and renewed, ready to take on these last 5-days of walking. Sunday, December 8th, is the day of the Immaculate Conception. At noon on this day they will swing the Botafumiero, also known as the largest swinging incense burner in the world, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. We are planning to rise early that morning and walk the last 20km together with our Camino family in order to experience the Botafumiero together. What a wonderful way to end this incredible journey.
December 4, 2024
Day 28: Sarria to Portomarin – 22.4 km (13.9 miles) 38,886 steps
We started out this morning surrounded by groups of pilgrims as we left the city. This is the largest number we have seen since St Jean, which was to be expected. In order to receive the certificate of completion at the end, known as the Compostela, you only have to complete the last 100 km and get 2 stamps a day in your credencial. Because of this, many pilgrims start in Sarria. We already met a large group of Koreans and a group of Americans from Maryland who started their walk today. The Americans were really curious how we got so much time off. Our jobs our flexible we said, and the winters are slow. So we take advantage of it, and we travel. So here we are!
For the most part, this section was easy. Small hills, forest paths, lots of little villages. But unexpectedly, nearly everything was closed, and we weren’t prepared for that like we had been for the Meseta. With the increased number of pilgrims, we had expected more cafes and shops to be open, so we hadn’t stocked up on food. By about 13km in we were hangry, scouring every little village for food. Even the most popular pilgrim stops listed in the guidebook were closed.
At long last we found a cafe. I had my second Spanish tortilla (omelette with potato) of the day but I wasn’t going to be picky. Suddenly the restaurant was flooded with hungry pilgrims. We were overwhelmed with the number of people now walking the trail, and also surprised there was not more places open. We never found another cafe or bar open that day until we made it to our destination, Portomarin.
Portomarin is a very interesting town. In the 1960’s they relocated the entire medieval city stone by stone to a higher location because of the construction of the Belesar Reservoir and the damming of the Miño River, which threatened to submerge it. We had to cross a huge bridge to reach the “new city” of Portomarin, including the relocated 12th century church. We were fortunate that this time of year the waters were still low and we could see the remnants of the old city down below.
Katharina made us all dinner tonight and did a wonderful job. Dessert was chocolate covered Santiago cake. It was a great night. Recently, we have been much more selective about our albergues. Bu paying just a few euros more, we’ve been staying in privately owned albergues with better amenities: sheets, towels, hot water, a kitchen, etc. We may still be in bunk beds, but often the places have more character and several times it has been just the 5 of us!
December 5, 2024
Day 29: Portomarin to Palas de Rei- 24.8km (15.4 miles) except we walked further! 42,972 steps
Today was long, foggy and damp. Aron said it feels just like Oregon! But with only a few days left, we toughed it out. My toes this evening were completely swollen. Aron’s shoes are nearly completely worn down. But we will persevere. Only 3 days left to walk!
We took the long way out of Portomarin. There was an interpretive walk around the city that I wanted to take, but unfortunately most of the boardwalk was closed and unmaintained. Still we got some great views of the bridge and the old city.
From there the Camino climbed and climbed and climbed, even though the rating today was “easy”. We grumbled as we walked but towards the top we were rewarded with some ancient Celtic ruins from about 5 BCE. Very cool and mysterious in the fog.
We brought food today which was smart because there was still only one cafe open. The cafe didn’t even have the staple Spanish tortillas so I was glad I had my sandwich. I did warm up with a hot tea, though.
Shortly after the cafe we passed a little chapel built with stones from a ruined Knights of Templar castle. Inside was a blind man who gave us special Knights of Templar stamps (for a donation, of course). We would have missed this one if it wouldn’t have been for a Spanish pilgrim who keeps going out of his way to stop and show Aron special things. He showed us the amanitas yesterday. He walks with a staff and a Celtic cross, and Aron has a sense he is some kind of shaman. He speaks no English but we are picking up enough to communicate.
At long last we reached Palas de Rei. Our albergue is an old prison with bars on the window, but the energy is not bad (it’s not Alcatraz, the owner said!). The owner Marcello is Italian and he made us a wonderful Italian dinner. It is cozy and cute and once again just the 5 of us. We need to be well rested for our last very long day, 30km tomorrow.
December 6, 2024
Day 30: Palas de Rei to Arzua – 29.2 km (18.1 miles) 46, 565 steps
Three days left of walking. At the end of the day we are only 38km from Santiago (24 miles). In a car, we would be there in less than an hour. It seems so improbable!
The first 1/2 of the day went fast. We reached Melide (15km) by 11:15am (just 3 hours), and were way past ready for a break, but we were so exhausted we could not make a decision for lunch. We finally settled on a restaurant known for pulpo (octopus), which is a specialty in this part of Galicia.
As we were deciding on food, the waiter suddenly brought us a split portion of the vegetarian option. “We didn’t order this,” we said. No one could figure it out, but the order was taken away. The waiter looked super grumpy. We just wanted the octopus and Galician stew! Luckily they didn’t try to charge us for the mistaken order.
Next stop was ice cream (dulce de leche & pistachio) , and then we started the second half of our day. We were good for about an hour, and then everything started to hurt. My feet were so swollen, I could feel them bursting out of my shoes. But I kept plodding along. We met a psychologist from Madrid, who worked primarily with English speakers from the US and Britain. She kept me distracted for a while. But the last 2 1/2 miles was excruciating. I cannot figure out why I’m suddenly having foot issues. Maybe the shoes (and feet) are just finally worn out.
I hobbled into Arzua. Aron offered to carry my bag the last mile but I felt guilty and took it back about 1/2 way. All I could think about was getting off of my feet. At last we reached the albergue. Once inside, I crawled into my bunk and slept for a couple of hours.
This is Friday and also a holiday known as Saint Nicholas Day. Our friend from Germany says traditionally they put their boots outside and the next morning they are full of treats. There were definitely a lot of families out this evening and even a carousel. We made a reservation at a higly recommended restaurant called Cafe NeNe. The food was fantastic. It was the most amount of money we have spent on a meal here in Spain. But for three bottles of local wine and dinner for five people, we spent the same amount of money we would spend in Portland for lunch with only a drink each.
I cannot believe we are down to our last 2 days. Our friend Choi walked 70km today (started at 3am) to reach Santiago. Our friends Jose, Joaquin, and Fernando plan to walk 30km tomorrow so they can complete the last 10km early Sunday. Jacques from France is walking 38km so he said he will be suffering when he reaches Santiago. We are planning 19km tomorrow and 19km on Sunday (still suffering). Regardless, Santiago de Compostela, we will see you soon!
December 7, 2024
Day 31: Arzua to O Pedrouzo – 19.2 km (11.9 miles) 35,093 steps
Almost there. Our second to last day of walking. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. Our Spanish pilgrim friend, Jose, walked by and asked “how is this December in Galicia?” I had tears in my eyes as we walked. This time tomorrow we would be in Santiago. We are nearly at the end of this incredible journey.
This is also the last evening we are spending with our Camino family. Tomorrow we will stay in a hotel, Katharina will be in a hostel, and Tatiana and Felipe will stay with friends outside the city. Other friends have already reached Santiago, some are behind us, and others will complete the Camino at a different time. We will miss this little community that we have shaped over the last 31 days. For us, these people were the most integral part of our Camino. The Camino is never walked alone. You are always surrounded by others undergoing the same grueling experience, and you are forever connected.
We spent the evening sharing stories from the last month: favorite moments, the most challenging days, the best meals, the worst albergues, and all the interesting people we met along the way. Tomorrow we will complete the last 19km of our journey and celebrate with hugs and tears, and probably too much Spanish wine. This has absolutely been an unforgettable experience. Thanks for following along!
December 8, 2024
Day 32: O Pedrouzo-Santiago de Compostela – 19.3 km (12 miles) 37,610 steps
We did it! I am still incredulous. We walked nearly 500 miles from St Jean Pied-de-Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain in 32 days. No taxis, no buses, no bikes. Just our feet! The day was a mess of emotions: laughter, tears, shouts, hugs, fist bumps, rejoicing. And yes, I definitely had too much Spanish wine!
We got up really early in the morning and started walking about 6am. We were in the dark until about 8:30. Me, Aron, Tatiana, Felipe, and Katharina. We walked together, chatting and dodging mud puddles we couldn’t see. Tatiana put on a Christmas music playlist to keep our feet moving and our spirits up.
After about 13 kms we really needed a break, but nothing was open. Not only was it Sunday, but it was also a holiday. We trudged along until the sky opened up and the rain began to fall, which we haven’t really seen since Pamplona, ages ago. It is at this point I realize I did not have my poncho. I happened to leave it at the albergue on the very last day when I needed it the most (Felipe forgot his sticks). But no worries. Katharina had an extra.
We eventually found an open cafe, the rain ceased, and a rainbow appeared over the city of Santiago in the distance. We practically ran the last 5km to the city, giddy with excitement. As we heard the sound of bagpipes and turned the corner to the Cathedral, our hearts were full. At last, we are here! In the beginning it may have seemed impossible, but we have completed this miraculous journey. And we are forever changed.
December 9, 2024
Santiago de Compostela – the end of the Camino, but also the start of something new. It feels so strange not to get up and walk 25k, but my body was ready for rest.
Santiago is a beautiful city. We hung around a few days exploring and doing a bit of shopping. The last time we walked around the Cathedral, we didn’t recognize any of the pilgrims coming in and decided it was time to leave. Bittersweet.
Yesterday, for the first time in 35 days, we got on a bus to Porto. I slept nearly half of the 4 hour trip, and thought about how if we were walking it would take two weeks!
Sharing photos from Santiago.
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