El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
Today’s hike was 18.5 km (12 miles). The terrain in this area is mostly flat.
As we left Arzúa, we observed the numerous pilgrims on various routes walking toward Santiago. It’s incredible to see the number of people hiking. While some are respectful of their surroundings, others blast music. For this segment of El Camino, it’s best to start hiking early in the morning to avoid the “rush hour.”
The distance we walked today was short, only 14 km (8 miles). The hike was relatively easy; we did this route in 2017 for our first Camino. We notice how the villages have changed over the years and how positive the tourism from El Camino de Santiago has been for the local economy.
Today, we stayed at Pazo de Brandeso, near Arzúa. It is a historic manor constructed in 1554; the Pazo showcases the architectural elegance of the period. We had the opportunity to tour the property and learn about its history and its owners.
For the medieval pilgrim, the continuation of their pilgrimage to the sea was likely the one opportunity in their lives to see the ocean. As a souvenir of their visit, they would take a scallop shell back home with them. The scallop shell is now the emblem for the Camino de Santiago and is found all along the route on signs and wayposts.
22km through hilly coastal terrain. One more day remains on our pilgrimage until the lighthouse in Finisterre…..
Long 34 km heading towards the sea. Mainly through Galician farmlands, countryside, and hamlets. Fortunately, a good breeze was blowing from the ocean to the north and kept us cool.
Santiago de Compostela was actually our penultimate destination on this trip. We are hiking about 90 more kilometers to what the pre-Columbian world believed was the end of the flat earth, or, as they wrote in Latin, Finis Terre. This is now known as the city of Finisterre, which will be our last stop by foot. 22km today through beautiful Galician countryside.
Me: Today was our last day walking our pilgrimage this year. I can’t believe how fast three weeks went by. We challenged ourselves every day, and we suffered a little, but this has been the most fantastic experience in our lives so far. I walked 25km. (15 mi) today, and then I took a taxi to Leon, but Jeremy did the walk to Leon 41 km (25 mi), almost eight hrs.
Jeremy: This was our last day walking the Camino of Santiago this year. We will be back next year to walk the final 13 stages. We have done 289 out of 480 miles total.
Today was a record. More than 25 miles (41 km) total.
This has been an unforgettable three weeks despite tendinitis in both shins, achy knees, and extremely sore feet. Can’t wait to get back on the trail next year to finish our pilgrimage!
Today we started to walk through La Meseta. It was an easy 20km walk on a flat surface. We had an early lunch at La Fuentes, where the manager gave us a Reliquary of the Virgin to keep us company in El Camino. That is what I like about El Camino; most people are generous and proud of their work to feed and help the people who go through their towns.
We got to Hornillos before two, and we had enough energy to walk more km. But since we had a reservation in a Casa Rural, we had to stay. It was a surprise to find that our accommodation was outside the town in an old house where we were surrounded by extensive gardens and a pond with ducks and geese. I’m glad we had the time to get here early and enjoy this place. BTW some scenes from the movie The Way were filmed here.
We didn’t have rain today, it was an easy walk, especially for Jeremy who has tendinitis. We walk through a long, beautiful, and boring forest in Europe, probably eight kilometers of the same green scenery followed by a local Cuckoo bird. From now on every time I hear a Cuckoo clock it is going to remind me of this stretch of El Camino. This afternoon when we arrived at our hostel we learned that the water heater was broken and our host was trying to find another accommodation for us. Luckily we had the best travel agent who also was looking for a place where we could stay for the night. Right now is the highest season for El Camino and the small towns don’t have enough beds for all the pilgrims that are arriving every day. At the end, we stayed in a hotel outside Burgos. Tomorrow we are going to be drive back to Ages and start where we stopped today.
Today was the most challenging day for me, it’s not only that the body is getting tired, it’s the emotional aspect, I’m tired of the rain and wind and for the first time, I had a breakdown on El Camino. I was hungry, tired, and had no sight of a near town, it was the first time that I question myself, why am I doing this? Jeremy has tendinitis in his left shin, which is slowing him.
7:30pm, we went for dinner at the restaurant where most pilgrims go in Belorado, Albergue Cuatro Cantores; it was like a party, everybody was happy to see each other, people catching up about how was the walk, how the injuries are doing, the rain, and so on. It has been a very delightful dinner with fellow pilgrims.
9:25pm, time to go to bed, tomorrow is a new day.
TrekTok 