El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
Today our hike was, thankfully, on the shorter side (22km), and the scenario was amazing. The beautiful Galician countryside was so picturesque. Was hard to stop gawking at the beauty of nature all around. We arrived in Sarria, the last launching point to kick off the Camino if you want to receive a certificate. There are many more people on the trails, but this barely detracts from the experience.
Today was an enjoyable walk through a forest in Galicia; it has been the most beautiful area that we have hiked so far. We were the only ones on the trail, very lucky to have this area for ourselves. I had plenty of time to think of family, friends, and our impact on the world. Without more to say, Resist!
After a day of rest, we had a 20k walk today. It’s Palm Sunday and most of the towns that we passed are getting ready for the Holy Week.
I’ll be brief today. I walked 30km/18mi in 6.53hrs, my worst day so far because I have blisters on my toes. Today we walked through the vineyards of the O.D. Bierzo most of the day with temperatures at 78F. I needed to get a taxi to be taken to my final destination.
It was cold in the morning, and we walked through a forest with frost still on the ground. We hiked toward the high peaks of El Camino, Cruz de Ferro, 1,505m/4937ft, and Alto Altar, 1,515m/4970ft. It was an easy climb because we had been gradually climbing since we left the Meseta a few days prior. The hike to the summit was easy and steady. We reached the Cruz de Ferro, which is one of the most important symbols of El Camino. The exact age of the cross is unknown, but pilgrims have dropped a stone at its base as a symbol of letting go of the burdens that we carry in life. A couple kilometers after, we walked through Manjarín, an abandoned village from around the 12th century that used to be a hospital and base for the Knights Templar. There are still some buildings and a single resident who takes care of the pilgrims.
But everything that goes up comes down. After beautiful valley views, we started our descent, about 905m/2969ft in 10km/6m. Most of the area was loose rocks, some areas we walked on the freeway, it wasn’t good at all for our knees and feet.
Today was an easy walk through an area that was prevalent with gold and silver mines in Roman times. Most of the villages have been abandoned, but with the increase of pilgrims walking in the past years, some of those medieval villages have been restored. Tonight we went to a church where Benedictine monks delivered the mass in Gregorian chant.
Today was our last day walking through La Meseta. We walked through some low hills, and a few high trees provided a most needed shade. We saw about eight pilgrims along el Camino; it is the beginning of the high season here; probably next week, we will see more people along the way because it is the Holy Week.
Long, long walk 20.5mi/32km through La Meseta. We met a few pilgrims on the way; the weather was fantastic for hiking today; every few miles, we walked through a small town; we are very tired but excited to be walking. Today we saw a lot of activity through La Meseta; the farmers are preparing the soil for seed.
Today we arrived in Leon. We are very fortunate to be back in Leon in less than a year to finish our pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Tomorrow morning we are going to start our 302Km/187Mi to Santiago.
TrekTok 