Pilgrims on the Way

As we started walking that morning, the mists of Galicia closed in around us. There’s something both mysterious and intimate in those mists that I find difficult to explain, but once you’ve walked there, you will understand. Date: 26 April 2013Place: Fonfría (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)Today started: Fonfría (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)

The next morning, we asked the hospitalero to take a photo of our little Camino family. From left to right: me, Iain, Francine, Bob, and Anja. There’s a fork in the road coming up, and while some of us are heading directly to Sarria, some of us are instead taking the alternative route to the ancient Benedictine abbey of Samos. […]

After dinner, we all sort of collapsed. Well, not all of us. Iain and a Japanese fellow named Su took turns playing the albergue’s guitar and singing. It was a splendid evening, even if we were exhausted! Francine, Anja, Bob, and I watched and listened. There was hardly any snoozing. Date: 25 April 2013Place: Fonfría (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)Today […]

If you stay at the albergue in Fonfría, dinner is down the hill at this amazing place. The food was outstanding, as was the company. More on that next week! Date: 25 April 2013Place: Fonfría (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)Today started: Vega de Valcarce (Region of El Bierzo, Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)

This particular stretch of the Camino is a gently undulating terrain, but just a little further on there’s a bit called Alto do Poio, which I think might translate into something like “lousy hill”. This was a crazy bit of hill, so steep and full of boulders that at some points I was on all fours scrambling up the slope. […]

While much of Galicia is forested, quite a bit is given over to pastureland and farms as well. This should give you a pretty good idea of what much of this looks like from the Camino. Date: 25 April 2013Place: between Hospital da Condesa and Padornelo (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)Today started: Vega de Valcarce (Region of El Bierzo, Province […]

Back in 2013, these markers could be found throughout Galicia. I don’t recall seeing them since, and I suspect they were all replaced with more modern signs and markers. I hope I’m wrong about that, and there are still some of these kicking around. To see what the modern markers look like, check here. Date: 25 April 2013Place: entering Hospital […]

Despite the the well-worn and oft repeated joke in Spain that “no hay vacas en Galicia”, there are, in fact, a whole lot of cows. Perhaps a majority of the mammal population. On our way to the next village, we were passed by a cowherd and perhaps two dozen cows on the Camino path. This photo is of the last […]

This was the best photo I could get of the face of the titanic bronze pilgrim statue atop Alto do San Roque. While there are many statues and other pieces of public art along the Camino, this is certainly one of the most loved. From the determination in his eyes to the little details, such as the scapular of Santiago […]