El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
Today we walked 24 Km/ 14.5 miles along the coast. Most of the trail was on a wooden boardwalk. We passed several restaurantes that looked so alike that after kilometer 10 it felt like a Deja Vu. We wondered in some point if we were walking in circles.
Today we passed a site with archaeological ruins from the Iron Age, also saw a Nordic engraving in an area that once upon a time was a Viking camp, and saw Roman Tanks for fish salting.
There is a lot of history along the way.
Today was an easy hike, about 12 Km/ 7 miles. The weather was overcast and there was a warm breeze from the ocean. We saw a few pilgrims on the way, as we passed them or we were passed the unofficial greeting was said, ¡Buen Camino!. A polite pilgrim always greets in Spanish to a fellow pilgrim.
Our walk today was alongside the Rio Douro and the coast.
After waiting for two years we finally made it to Portugal. We arrived to Porto on June 13.
We got our pilgrim’s credential which is the most important document that we will carry for now on. I will elaborate more about the credential below. Then, we visited Porto’s cathedral to get our first stamp to prove in Santiago where we started our journey.
Back to the hotel, it was time to pack like a good Pilgrim.
The Credential.
The Pilgrims’ credential proves where we started our walk and the distance we did. Every day as we pass towns, we will get our credentials stamped with the name and the date from the cafes, restaurants, churches, and hotels we visited along the way. The Credential is the only document accepted in the pilgrim’s office in Santiago. We present this document as a testimony that we walked to Santiago if we wanted to get our Compostela.
La Compostela is the official document given to the pilgrims that reach Santiago. This document has been given to the pilgrims since the medieval age.
The Shell.
The shell during the Middle Ages was the only proof that the Europeans had to prove that they reached the ocean or the end of the world in Finisterre, Spain.
Today we carry the shell as a symbol that we are pilgrims. Along the way, people who have the shell are allowed to get shelter for free or at a low cost for the night in hostels or churches.
Today, Hiking poles, backpacks, cellphones, maps, and first aid kits are the equipment that the modern pilgrims bring with them.
Every single fact in this article is true (and funny) about EL Camino de Santiago.
I was looking for more information on the web about El Camino de Santiago. I found this funny article of 20 truths about El Camino de Santiago. I just wanted to share it here.
Today we finally crossed the Alps from Italy into Switzerland. It was a long day, starting out first from the refuge at an undulating elevation before carrying out the steep climb to the top of the Ferret Pass. From the top, we saw down into the Ferret Valley in Switzerland. It was a long and mostly steep descent to our final stopping point of La Fouly. Approximately 20km total.
Today was a somewhat shorter day, with approximately 15km of hiking from Courmayeur to the Bonatti mountain hut at approximately 7500 feet. It was a beautiful climb into the mid-altitudes, where the trail leveled off and took us through beautiful meadows, along ridges, and across many rivers. As usual, we could only gawk at the beauty surrounding us. We spent the night in the peaceful refuge, where we enjoyed the long sunset and the isolation.
Today we crossed the border from France into Italy. The day started off with a gradual climb out of Les Chapieux before the ascent started in earnest to the Seigne Pass. Approximately 1300 meters (4000 ft) of climbing! From this point, there were dramatic views of both Italy and France. There was then a long steady descent into Courmayeur in Aosta, Italy.
Today started off with an easy few kilometers out of town before hitting a brutal ascent up to the Bonhomme Pass. Nevertheless, amazing views abounded. After nearly 3000 feet of climbing, we started our descent towards the village of Chapieux. However, the last several kilometers were a literal race to the finish under the torrent of a heavy thunder and hail storm. We arrived soaked to the bone and happy to have arrived unscathed. Approximately 20 kilometers for the day.
Day 2 of the hike was a completely different experience due to the terrain. We started off with an easy stroll through the town of Les Houches before doing a steep and challenging climb up to the Voza Pass at approximately 5000 feet. We then were rewarded with a long and scenic downhill through numerous villages and varying countryside before arriving at Les Contamines, where we spent the night. Great to have the opportunity to see small French villages in the Alps.
TrekTok 