All posts tagged: Pilgrimage

Day 5 Camino to Santiago de Compostela – from Las Herreías to O Cebreiro

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I overslept! Gah! Woke up at 6:45am after the best sleep I’ve had in weeks! But of all the days to do this, did it need to happen today when I had a date to walk with others. Well, the good thing is that I probably needed it because I’ve been sleeping very little for far too long.  Left Las Herrerías at 07:20 and though I was the last pilgrim out, but of course I wasn’t. The climb is steep at first, but wonderful. The forest is refreshing and has a sweet scent of leaves, bark, and soil, and I’m incredibly happy to be in Galicia again! Well, technically I’m still in Castilla y León. The border to Galicia is a bit further on up the mountain, but mentally I’m already there. As I have anticipated this climb to be difficult, I’m booked to stay in the village of O Cebreiro at the top of the mountain, so I can take it easy and walk at my own pace. It’s going to be fun to …

Day 4 Camino to Santiago de Compostela – from Villafranca del Bierzo to Las Herrerías

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Not quite the 05.30 departure I had in mind, but 06.15. I’m getting there if slowly. The town sleeps but is pretty with all the lights. Don’t see anyone else around and it will be a while before I run into other pilgrims. I chose the Pereje route which is relatively flat. For the more fit and seasoned walkers, there are two other routes, one that takes you over Alto Pradela and the other longer one over Alto Dragonete.  Villafranca del Bierzo in the distance Today I’m heading to Las Herrerías, which makes it a 20,3 km day, a more suitable length for me. If you follow different forums and groups, as I have done this second time around, you’ll discover there are about as many opinions as people. My tip for you would be, read them but then follow your own instincts. Someone wrote that he thought this particular stretch was boring as it’s next to a highway, so you might as well take a taxi…I myself enjoy the walk. Sunrise behind the mountain …

Day 3 Camino to Santiago de Compostela – from Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo

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Good morning! I aimed to leave at 6 o’clock, but it’s 6.30 before I begin walking. The town is quiet, but eventually new hikers appear and silently exit the town, each in their own thoughts. I’m starting to enjoy these early mornings and being able to see the sun rise. The air is fresh, and it feels incredible for a die-hard night owl like me to be part of the awakening of a new day. The first leg down to the large town of Ponferrada is very steep, and as my poor knees and feet haven’t quite recovered from yesterday, I stop at the very first café that is open at the outskirts of the town to have a little rest and my morning coffee. I haven’t very high expectations of this modern metropolis with a population of 69 000, but it surprises me in a good way. The route I follow takes me though the medieval part and some of the main historic sites such as the XIIthC Templar Castle, Castillo de los Templarios. …

Day 2 Camino to Santiago de Compostela – from Rabanal de Camino to Molinaseca

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Wake up early and collect my now dry clothes from the clothesline, get dressed and out of the door at around six thirty. Today’s walk is 25,6 km, but it’s the steep descent down mountainside that’s going to be the challenge. Typical pilgrim shadow in the morning The first part is wonderfully cool and walking up the mountain is no problem at all. Beautiful nature and wildflowers and the higher I get, of course, a wonderful view, once I pass the fog. I take my morning coffee in the small village of Foncebadón, just before the peak experience for most pilgrims, the large cross, Cruz de Ferro, standing 1,504 meters above sea level on a large mound of stones and pebbles. Pilgrims traditionally leave a small stone at the Cruz de Ferro, to symbolize leaving all their burdens behind. I find myself unexpectedly unmoved by this iconic place, both physically and spiritually. Perhaps it’s because I expected it to be on the very peak of the mountain with uninterrupted views, but it’s surrounded by high pines, and …

Day 1 Camino to Santiago de Compostela – from Astorga to Rabanal de Camino

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I follow the French Way or The Way of St. James which this ancient pilgrim path is also known as, just like the last time, but this time starting in the region of Castilla y León that borders to Galicia at O Cebreiro. It will be fun to discover a new part of the Camino.  It’s a beautiful start and feels wonderfully flat! In reality it’s a steady ascent from Santa Catalina to Rabanal, however I stop every 5 km as I had planned, for a coffee, lunch or something to drink, and luckily there are cafes evenly distributed along the trail.   Passing pretty and very rustic doors on the way. I knew that there has been a tremendous rise of pilgrims since my last Camino in 2012. The statistics show a staggering 438,589 thousand people finished the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 2022, as opposed to 192,488 in 2012, and indeed, there are a lot of pilgrims on the trail today. However, I enjoy having brief chats with people from many parts of the …