Month: May 2016

Leaving Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia in Azrua was difficult this morning. We were so comfortable and treated so warmly, we could have stayed another day, but we are now getting so close to Santiago de Compostela with only 2 full walking days remaining. Today’s walk of 13 miles from Azrua to Rúa was full of anticipation as we near the end of the Camino.

Our beautiful Hospederia was a mile off the Camino, so the quiet morning walk back was a good way to warm up. After reaching the Camino, we were greeted by two nuns offering pilgrims credential stamps and blessings for the final portion of the journey. We took them up on it and enjoyed the short time we spent with the cute nuns. A few more minutes down the trek we entered a 12th century chapel, where we lit candles for loved ones and then began our full day of walking to Rúa.

On the trail today were lots tourist pilgrims in clean, bright outfits blocking the Camino. They travel in large groups, only aware of the people they’re with.  Just try to interupt their conversations and squeeze past them, a near impossible task. That’s when I stop for a break, try to return to a place of peacefulness and return in the right frame of mind.

Usually when we walk into a town for an overnight, the first thing we do is look for the local grocer. They can range in size from someone operating a room of essentials out of their house to large grocery store chains. When we walked into Rúa, we only found a couple of old, quaint houses and a vending machine. We found our hotel, the third and last building in town, reminiscent of boy scout camp accommodations. The hotel had a cozy bar and restaurant, so we ordered some drinks and sat at our cabin most of the quiet and sunny afternoon. We couldn’t help but let our minds wander to the thoughts of tomorrow’s final walk into Santiago de Compostela. So many emotions and curiosities running through our heads.

Nuns blessing Jeff and providing pilgrims credential.

Country house that I loved between Azrua and Rúa

Muddy Camino that residents placed stones through to assist.

A gaggle of tourist pilgrims blocking the Camino.

Rick, Jeff and Eladio in forests between Azrua and Rúa

Walking into Rúa, one of only 3 buildings

Food has been the biggest challenge for me, personally, on the Camino. Not that there aren’t available food sources in the small villages we walk through and stay in, but finding quality foods, at hours that fit into our pilgrims walking schedules, can be quite difficult. That makes days like today especially rewarding.

We started the day in Melide at Pension Berenguela (small private inn) where the sisters who own the inn also own a small restaurant and bar. They made us a breakfast of hot, fresh baked bread with sliced cheeses and ham. They provided sliced ham and yogurt, as well as all the fresh squeezed orange juice we could consume. The sisters are delightful and engage with their guests,  making us all feel so special and welcome. It was a great way to start our day.

Our Camino journey took us 10 miles through lush green forests and through groves of more Australian gum trees  (eucalyptus). Because our walking day was short, we arrived at our amazing hotel in Azrua earlier than we arrive at our hotels most days. This turned out to be a blessing because the hotel is run by people who know and understand good food, flavors and that people want to eat during hours other than 8pm to 10pm. We started with lunch, not expecting much, but were we surprised with the service and incredible quality of the foods offered. One of the dishes we ordered was a tomato salad with carmelized local Azrua cheese. The 3 varieties of tomatoes served vine ripened, farm to table. A balsamic reduction dressing, just enough for a touch of flavor, sea salt and olive oil. Flavors simple and complimented with each other with perfection. This is dining we hadn’t yet experienced in our first 28 days of the Camino. It’s like the heavens opened, the sun was shining and choirs were singing after the darkest of winters had ended. We went back for dinner and oredered that salad again. The lightest layer of carmelized glaze on the local cheese is truly pure heaven combined with the sweetest tomatoes ever. In addition the beef tenderloin we ordered was of quality to melt in your mouth. Birds nest styled poatoes were also cooked slivered thin and they also melted in our mouths. Every bite to be savored.

The hotel is called Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia. It’s was built in 1742 and has been delighting guests for nearly 300 years. It is over a mile off the Camino and we couldn’t figure out why we’d been booked all the way out there until we got there, saw the property and started to receive the incredible service and foods the property offers. It’s a great experience Jeff and I will never forget.

River crossing in the forest just outside Melide

Only 50 kilometers to go until Santiago de Compostela

Donna and Roddy walking through forests

Jeff pointing out giant slugs in the forest

House I thought looked charming

Village fountain on today’s Camino

Forests of Australian gum trees

Crossing river between Melide and Azrua

14th century church on today’s Camino

Checking in to Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia

Fireplace in lobby at Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia

Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia in Azrua

Lunch at Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia

Dinner with Jeff at Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia

Tomato and carmelized Azrua cheese salad

Jeff entering our room at Cazo Santa Maria Hospederia

There are some days in life that seem so happy. Days where I feel content and that everything is aligned so perfectly. Then, out of nowhere, the most horrific of incidents can bring you tumbling right back down to a reality you aren’t prepared for. Such was the case on our Camino today.

The day started off great, even in the rain, as we departed Palas de Rei for Melide. The Camino took us through forested trails, that in the heavy rains were the muddiest we’d seen so far. It became a fun challenge to navigate our way through the muddy roads, some of which had become rivers. We, along with other pilgrims, found our way through the muddy trails. We walked through several small village. In one village, a lady invited us into her small local church to take a break from the rain. Inside I lit a candle, with her assistance, and sat awhile enjoying her and the hospitality shown.

Later on the trail we ran into Katie from Australia. It was great to see her. We walked together awhile and had good conversations about her home life and her dogs. We stopped in a cafe snacks. While there we met a German lady who is walking the Camino with two beautiful dogs similar to Katie’s. They are German shorthaired pointers. The German lady said the female had gone into heat in the past few days and the male dog was not spayed, so they’d been a little agitated. Katie gave the dogs a pet and hug and we were on our way.

As we walked into Melide, the city we were staying in this night, the sun was shining, which brought locals out and about after being couped up because of the rain. Continuing into town we  noticed a quaint church that was open, being Sunday. There was a lady outside doing chores on her home, directly on the Camino, next to the church. Her cat was outside with her preening himself in the morning sun. As we entered the church we had a wonderful experience  meeting a local lady who stamped our pilgrims credential. At that moment we could hear what sounded like vicious dogs attacking each other outside the church. My initial thoughts were of the German dog in heat, that a local dog had approached it and caused a fight, so Jeff and I stepped out of the church to see what was causing the commotion. As we turned, we saw the two German shorthaired pointers we’d met earlier, in unison, hunt down and grab the cat we had just seen outside the church. The owner of the cat was screaming. The dogs became incredibly vicious, the male first grabbing one end of the cat in his mouth, then the female grabbing the other end of the cat in her mouth. They then shook the cat, snapping its spine and biting into its gut. The owner of the dogs was shouting at them, beating them hard with her walking sticks, trying to stop them, but it was too late. The dogs dropped the dead cat in the street as the owner was crying out in disbelief. We all looked upon them, stunned. We couldn’t believe what we had just seen. We all started to cry along with the other pilgrims, the locals and cat owner who had just witnessed the horrifying incident. In that one instant, the most peaceful, perfect and beautiful days came to a painful and frightening end.

The rest of the day had a dark cloud over more than the sky. Later in the day we decided to try the local favorite food, Octopus. We ordered the Octopus along with a salad and steak in case we didn’t like it. The octopus was delicious and so well prepared. We loved the dinner and the experience. We went to bed feeling so many emotions. Honored for the opportunity to experience the Camino. Incredibly grateful to be safe and warm, but heart broken about the incident as we walked into Melide.

Church we were invited into to dry off.

Rick and Jeff departing Palas de Rei

The local dogs on the Camino are very friendly and gentle.

These are food storage holders from ancient times

Village square with stone streets.

My favorite door of the day

Local church in village between Palas de Rei and Melide.

Katie meets two German shorthaired pointers walking the Camino.

Jeff walking muddy trails, some deep in water.

Forested Camino after the rains stopped

Crossing the river into Melide

Jeff crossing the ancient bridge into Melide.

Walking into Melide

Jeff about to try Octopus in Melide

Octopus, the favorite local dish of Galicia

Having a shot of the local spirit, Orujo, to calm our nerves.

It was pouring rain in Portomarin as we started our 15 mile trek to Palas de Rei. We donned our rain gear and departed the city, crossing the river and reservoir,  back into forests and country. We were back on the Camino for our 27th day of walking, a little cold, but looking forward to what the day would offer.

The Camino became very busy again with motor coach tourists walking about 2 hours, getting a taste of the trail, then getting picked back up. Prior to Sarria it was never difficult finding a place to stop for restroom breaks or coffee, but the first couple of hours today were a bit loaded with pilgrims and tourists.

We passed several pine forests and, surprisingly, eucalyptus and gum tree groves. The smell of gum trees in the light rain reminded me so much of Australia and floods of happy memories living there came rushing back. Like I’ve said before, the Camino can have lots of interesting surprises. We passed several old villages, making several stops along the way for snacks from friendly locals.

Jeff and I met a lovely Australian girl today named Katie. We enjoyed seeing her and speaking with her. She has good energy and a beautiful spirit. We shared a few Camino stories with each other before she found her albergue and we said goodbye. It’s interesting how you meet some pilgrims and instantly like them. Although we’d only conversed about 30 minutes, it was great meeting a new friend.

About 5 minutes before arriving into Palas de Rei it started to rain. We got a bit soaked as we were searching for our hotel for the night, Hotel Casa Benilde. When we found the hotel we were dripping wet. The lobby was immaculate clean. We felt a little guilty walking into the pristine lobby dripping on their floor in our muddy shoes. We were then greeted so warmly by the two staff members of the front desk. One escorted us into the garage adjacent to the lobby, hung our wet coats and overpants to dry while the other checked us into our rooms. They then personally took us to our rooms where they had already placed our bags, showed us how everything works and then gave us tips about the town and showed us the best places to eat. The service was excellent. We quickly changed and went to the restaurant they recommended, Meson Froixa. The service and food were excellent and for only 9.5 euro we had an incredible hot dinner with wine. We couldn’t think of a better way to end our 27th day on the Camino, walking in the rain with such warmth and hospitality.

About to cross the river/reservoir out of Portomarin

Departing Portomarin in the rain

Ancient rock wall growing plants

Pig farm on Camino between Portomarin and Palas de Rei

Pine forests between Portomarin and Palas de Rei

Eladio and Jeff walking past pine forests

Jeff placing stones for loved ones.

Cows on the Camino between Portomarin and Palas de Rei

Eucalyptus/gum tree grove on the Camino

Medieval church and cemetery between Portomarin and Palas de Rei

Ancient, crumbling house

Inside ancient crumbling house. Glad door was open so I could look in.

My door of the day photo. I liked that it was ajar.

Jeff walking through forests between Portomarin and Palas de Rei

Meson Froixa in Palas de Rei, yummy food.

Hot seafood soup at Meson Froixa.

26 days ago when I started walking the Camino with Donna and Eladio, we were full of excitement and anticipation. We couldn’t wait to get started and when we did, we took photos of everything. It took us 9 hours to walk what should have been 6. A lot of pilgrims start their Camino journeys here in Sarria because it is only a 7 day time commitment and because it’s the last place you can start and receive the official certificate at the end, the Compostela.

It was fun to have Jeff and Roddy start their Camino pilgrimage in Sarria. We could see the sa me excitement and anticipation in them that we had just 26 days ago. We took lots of photos departing Sarria and had a great day taking our time along today’s beautiful 13 mile trek. It really was a gorgeous first day for them through stunning green forests, across bubbling creeks and in delicious cafes for refreshments.

We noticed there were lots of other new pilgrims as well, full of the same excitement and wonder, but we noticed something else new to us today, tourist pilgrims. They aren’t hotel or albergue pilgrims, they are tourists whose guides have brought them to the Camino on large motor coaches, drop them off at one spot and pick them up about a 2 to 3 hour walk down the path. They crowd the pathways and don’t offer the same Camino etiquette as pilgrims. We found the tourists to be a little distracting from the experience and nature of the Camino, but were glad they had all disappeared within a few hours as their motor coaches picked them back up to continue their tours of Spain.

A little further into our day we noticed we had crossed the final 100 kilometer mark, which meant we had walked 642km and the final countdown to Santiago de Compostela has begun.

Approaching Portomarin was a beautiful sight, as the city sits on the side of a large lake/river. The original historic village was originally much lower, on the banks of the river. In the 1960’s a damn was built on the river to provide a reservoir of water. This meant the entire town would be submerged, so several historic buildings had to be relocated uphill and the city was completely rebuilt. One of the buildings moved was their historic, Romanesque church from the 12th century. They had to remove and rebuild the ancient church rock by rock, window tile by window tile. They also reassembled part of the ancient bridge from the river. We walked that bridge up and into the new city, past the church where it now stands, and into our lovely hotel for the night. With the walking day done, we were all experienced pilgrims, resting up for tomorrow.

The Sarria crest in mosaic tiles

Departing Sarria with Rick, Jeff, Donna and Roddy

Jeff crossing his first medieval pilgrims bridge.

The trail crossed lots of bubbling streams today

Typical pilgrims salad for lunch

Oh My Heck! Only 100 kilometers to go.

Jeff placing stones to remember and honor loved ones.

Not sure what this is, but I liked it.

Sheep! The Camino, not just for cows anymore.

Cute village church on today’s Camino

Jeff was excited to see his initials on these doors, J.D.

Fence into pasture.

I can’t get enough of the doors, lol.

Beautiful tree lined Camino between Sarria and Portomarin

Jeff crossing the reservoir to Portomarin

Bridge leading up to city in Portomarin

Jeff walking into Portomarin, his first overnight stop

12th century church moved rock by rock to new sight uphill

Quiet and solitude was the them today as I departed Triacastela for a 10 mile walk over a mountain pass, then down into Sarria. I was anxious as I began the day because I knew Jeff, my husband, and Gerard, Donna’s husband, would be joining us in Sarria for the remaining pilgrimage. Sarria is the last place on the Camino de Santiago where you can start and still receive a pilgrims credential/certificate. Because I was a bit antsy, I took an alternate route out of Triacastela via Sanxil to walk a more quiet route.

The alternate route is less traveled because it’sva little more strenuous walking up and over the mountain pass, but the scenery is spectacular. The best part is that there were hardly any other pilgrims walking the route. The quiet and serenity were just what I needed to calm my anxiety. While walking up the mountain canyons, several miles into the day’s journey, I came upon a small rock home. As I approached it, I could see potted flowers growing in the sides of the stone house (photo below). What I discovered is the structure is a home and an art gallery. I stepped inside to meet the artist. He was busy painting a watercolor. I looked over his art and all of it was beautiful watercolor scenes from the region and the Camino de Santiago. On each of his art pieces he’d painted, in calligraphy, a scripture befitting the image. On the other side of the home was his bed and living quarters. The man has dedicated himself to art and faith, living a quiet life in the mountains. It was interesting meeting him. I wished him a good day and thanked him for letting me view his world.

I spent the day walking through the mountains in thought about my beliefs, my family, my life. It was wonderful having the quiet time to myself. I only saw a few other pilgrims all day, so I was able to find several spots to stop, have a magnificent view and to think without interuptions.

As I came down the mountain, into the Sarria area, l noticed the cows had changed from a tan color, to black and white. All the cows, as we came into the valley were completely different those I’d seen up in the mountains over the previous few days.

Walking into Sarria I noticed a lovely restaurant in the old stone building. I poked my head inside and saw it was only locals. That’s a good sign for good food. I asked for a menu in my limited Spanish and the lady rattled of the day’s choices, as there were no printed menus. She simply told me, in Spanish, what was fresh and prepared that day. I had her repeat the appetizer and main course choices once again. Feeling proud of myself, I chose an appetizer and main course from the choices she gave me, but I wasn’t really sure what I’d actually ordered. As I finished oredering, she kinda looked at me funny, smiled and walked to the kitchen. When the the appetizer came, it was about 5 small fish, cooked and served whole. I never really know how to eat such fish, sobI just chowed down, ate bones and skin, but skippee the heads and spines. They were actually very delicious. I couldn’t wait to see what my main course was. Well, it was a big plate of fish, lol. This time filleted. It was super delicious, but that’s when I realized why the server looked at me funny when I ordered the fish and fish lunch.

Soon I was in Sarria, checked into my hotel, headed to the train station and met Jeff and Roddy as they arrived by train from Madrid. It was so fun to see them arrive, have a nice outdoor cafe dinner and get excited about walking  the remaining week on Camino all together.

Starting into the mountains via Sanxil

Mountain pass less traveled

Mountain Serenity

Follow the arrow

Artist’s home and studio in the mountains near Sanxil

Flowers growing in the walls of artists home

Artist painting watercolors

Small village house and garden in Sanxil

Small village church

The cows in the valley are black and white.

Tranquil, quiet trail

My fish n fish appetizer, complete with heads

My fish and fish main course

After 24 days of walking, and just when I think the Camino has shown everything it could possibly offer, there’s always something more to experience. Walking in the Galician region of Spain is mountainous, lush green and beautiful. While the Navarre and Castille regions seemed big with grape vineyards, the Galicia region seems big on Dairy cows and cheeses.

Around Ocebreiro, the mountain top town with Celtic heritage, the mountains capture the warm, moist Atlantic winds. As the air rises, clouds form and the area is often foggy and drizzly. That was definitely the case as we departed early this morning. It was beautiful walking through the fog and watching it pass through the forests. It rained the first 3 hours of today’s 13 miles, so we had rain coats, overpants and waterproof hiking boots on. It was fun and pleasant crossing the mountain ridges in the light rain. As we passed the mountain summit and began our slow descent to Triacastela, the further we got away from the mountain summit, the more the weather improved until after several miles the sun was shining on the winding country roads through the most beautiful grass hillsides with cows grazing in every direction I could see. At one point a local farmer ans his wife were herding about 20 or so cows to one of the mountainous grass pastures. The cows passed right by me on the narrow Camino de Santiago. I can’t tell you how much I loved having these beautiful large animals walk so close past me. The rest of the walking day was through this terrain. Occasionally, as I walked through villages, I noticed Celtic old buildings like we’d seen in Ocebreiro.

After reaching Triacastela, I stopped into a cafe and ordered some of the freshly made cheese the Ocebreiro area is well known for, made from the dairy cows in the area we’d just walked through. The cheese is fairly soft, mild and delicious drizzled with locally produced honey. I love all the new experiences the Camino offers to those willing to partake and enjoy.

Camino friends in Ocebreiro, starting our walking day.

Hiking to the mountain summit out of Ocebreiro

Church near mountain summit in Ocebreiro area

The peak and summit of today’s mountain pass, foggy and drizzly.

I loved the lush green Mountain landscapes between Ocebreiro and Triacastela.

Mountain village on today’s Camino

Celtic style building

Tree lined Camino leading to Triacastela

Local farmer taking dairy cows to pasture

Local farmers taking dairy cows to grass pastures

Happy, grass eating cows make for awesome cheese

Cows seem happier in Spain with these views and grasses

Medieval village church on Camino between Ocebreiro and Triacastela

Local Dairy farmer tending her cows in the grass pastures.

Small village church between Ocebreiro and Triacastela

The local dogs seem so relaxed they sleep in the streets.

Grove of trees entering Triacastela on Camino de Santiago

Red door on house in Triacastela

Town church in Triacastela Spain

The walking distance on the Camino de Santiago between Pamplona and Santiago de Compostela is 743 kilometers, or 461 miles. We are now in Ocebreiro, Spain, 179 walking kilometers before Santiago. That means we have now walked 349 miles and we have 112 miles remaining on this incredible journey. We started our Camino in the Navarre region of Spain, then through Castille and today we walked into our final region, Galicia.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Las Herrerias on the old dairy and cheese farm. It was beautiful walking out of the town this morning after a small country breakfast in the hotel. Not long after walking through the village, we found ourselves on a steep mountain ascent. The trail kept going up and up and up. After a few miles of hiking up this mountain, I was incredibly happy to arrive at the first village for a break, LaFaba.

I continued up and up the steep, but gorgeous mountains as it started raining. I didn’t bother putting on my rain gear because I was getting hot and the light rain felt fresh and cool, so I kept walking. Every time I thought I’d reached the summit, the trail kept going higher. I knew my walk was only 7 miles today. What I finally discovered is the entire 7 miles is climbing these steep mountain trails until I reached the historic village of Ocebreiro.

Ocebreiro is an historic celtic village on the mountain summit. Just before reaching the village I saw a land marker showing that we’d just crossed from Castille into Galicia. The Galician region of Spain has old communities of celtic descent. Walking into the village was a huge relief after making it up that mountain. The amazing surprise was to see the village has a much different look than the traditional Spanish villages we’d traveled through up to this point. To duck cover from the rain I retreated into the town church, the oldest on the Camino still in use, from the 9th century. I spent some quiet time inside, lighting a beautiful candle for my brother Kent, wishing him well thoughts in the chapel.

I wandered the picturesque streets of the village and found our charming inn, Venta Celta. As I walked in, two ladies greeted me and I could see they had made a large pot of stew, simmerimg on the stove. Nothing could have been better, so I asked for a bowl and slurped it up. Sitting in the ancient stone tavern, eating hot stew from an old time ceramic bowl made me feel like I was in the scene of a movie from the middle ages. I’m sure the tavern and inn look just as they did 500 years ago. I really like being in Galicia, so far.

Tonight we had a special treat meeting back up with Ebony. Her sister Cherise joined her last week, so we met her. Ebony’s Mom joined up with her here in Ocebreiro. What a beautiful place to start her journey on the Camino. Our warm Camino family is growing.

Saying goodbye to Las Herrerias

Mountain stream on today’s Camino to Ocebreiro

Eladio walking up the mountain to Ocebreiro

Up and up and up 7 miles

Mountain farmhouse on Camino before Ocebreiro

Wild forget me nots blooming on Camino

Galicia marker after walking in Castille

Close up of Galicia region marker

Where the heck is the top of this freakin mountain, geez.

..but wait, there’s more!

Celtic mountain village of Ocebreiro Spain

Celtic mountain village of Ocebreiro Spain

Celtic mountain village of Ocebreiro

Ancient Celtic village of Ocebreiro, dates back to 9th century.

Church in Ocebreiro from 9th century

Lighting a candle for my brother, Kent in Ocebreiro Spain

Lighting a candle for my brother, Kent

Lighted candles in 9th century church in Ocebreiro

9th century chapel in Ocebreiro

Our inn in the mountain village Ocebreiro

Inside our charming inn, Ocebreiro Spain

So happy to meet back up with Ebony. Her Mom and sister Cherise are now here.

When I was growing up along the Wasatch front in Utah, I always loved spending time in the canyons and mountains that surrounded my hometown of Kaysville. I felt right at home walking the 12 miles of today’s Camino because the mountain canyons looked so much like home. Winding mountain roads with tall cottonwood trees and pine forests were today’s scenes. If it weren’t for the few Spanish towns we passed through, I would have sworn we were walking through Midway, Utah, or up through Weber Canyon into Morgan.

We started our day in Villafranca del Bierzo and crossed a beautiful medieval bridge on the way out of town. We were soon into the mountain passes with the sound of a canyon river to comfort us along the way. Not too far into today’s journey I noticed the falling cotton from the cottonwood trees growing alongside the river. The air was crisp and fresh, the birds singing happy tunes. It was a great start to our day.

Along today’s walk I couldn’t help but think of our Camino friend Bob aka Paul from Atlanta. I received an email from him letting us know he had to end his Camino last Friday because of intense knee pain. He is incredibly disappointed and I couldn’t help but be heart broken for him. Paul and I had a nice evening together in Burgos many days ago. He is Catholic and was able to give me some perspective on the Camino from a Catholic’s knowledge. He told me that Pope Frances declared 2016 a holy year and that doing a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, while also confessing your sins, then walking through one of six holy doors (one is at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela) ones sins would be fully absolved. There are many Catholics on the Camino de Santiago this year, working through the hardship, because of the special significance the holy year brings. I was, and still am, very proud of Paul for taking on this endeavor. He is a great walker and I’m honored to have met him and the lessons he taught me in the short period spent on the Camino together

Eladio and I had a very pleasant and enjoyable day walking through the canyons and mountains. Approaching our stopping point for the night, in Las Herrerias, I again started thinking of my Utah home and how much I was going to enjoy spending some time in this beautiful, special area. Bob aka Paul, although you’re not from Utah, I know you’re going to love this part of the Camino when your knee is healed and you’re back to complete your journey.

Departing Villafranca del Bierzo across the bridge

A mile out of Villafranca

House in mountain village town on Camino

Abandoned mountain house

Camino pilgrims on horseback

Canyon river between Villafranca and Las Herrerias

This tree reminded me of “The Princess Bride,” the tree house Billy Crystal lived in.

Sheep grazing the canyon grasses

Camino marker showing 190km remaining

Small village church near Las Herrerias

Small village church near Las Herrerias

Small village church in mountains near Las Herrerias

Mountain canyon river near Las Herrerias, Spain

The mountain passes today remind me of Utah

Happy to discover this is our hotel tonight.

Our hotel in Las Herrerias, converted from an old barn

The view from our hotel in Las Herrerias

Livestock on the Camino is Las Herrerias

Las Herrerias, Spain. So charming.

After yesterday’s long trek over the mountain range, we were very happy to have a relatively short walking day today of only 10 miles. While some pilgrims would say we were cheating, by taking a taxi out of Ponferrada to avoid the 8 kilometer industrial zone, I say we are keeping ourselves in a more peaceful state of mind and keeping ourselves safe.

Taking a taxi out of Ponferrada gave Eladio and I time to have a beautiful Sunday brunch as we walked into the village of Cacabelos. We stopped into a beautiful restaurant called Moncloa and ordered all kinds of food. We took our time to really enjoy the food, the staff and the warm Spanish environment.

After brunch we continued walking through the village of Cacabelos as the town church bells where ringing, calling villagers to attend mass. The sun was shining and the locals seemed pleasant and happy, wishing Eladio and I “Buen Camino” as we passed through. We then found ourselves in the midst of the grape vineyards in the wine growing region. Grape vineyards were spread out in every direction as far as the eyes could see, with only an occasional cherry orchard to change things up a bit. We walked through this amazing terrain for miles on the winding Camino. We walked through adorable villages and grape vineyards until we found ourselves walking up and into another mountain pass. Luckily the village we are staying the night was only a few miles into the mountain, Villafranca del Bierzo. Walking into the village was a gorgeous sight, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The village center is lively with several outdoor cafes, all of them bustling with local residents enjoying the Sunday afternoon sun.

After nearly two weeks, we’re in grape growing territory again.

Eladio with our brunch feast at Moncloa restaurant in Cacabelos, Spain.

Pear tart at brunch at Moncloa restaurant in Cacabelos

Eladio at church in Cacabelos Spain

This statue looked like drag queen Jesus. I felt guilty for thinking that. Lol.

Inside charming church in Cacabelos

The charmimg village of Cacabelos

Home with stream running through it.

Can’t get enough of the views today. Trying to soak it all in.

Grape vineyards and the mountains we hiked over yesterday

Cherry orchards between Ponferrada and Villafranca del Bierzo

Door to medieval church next to our hotel

Looking over Villafranca del Bierzo from the church grounds

View of vineyards with the mountains we crossed the day before.

Our first view of Villafranca del Bierzo

Walking into Villafranca del Bierzo after a day of walking

Door on home in Villafranca del Bierzo. Makes me want to look in.

Our hotel in Villafranca del Bierzo, Hotel San Francisco

The village of Villafranca del Bierzo from our hotel window.

San Francisco church in Villafranca del Bierzo