DESTINATIONS Archives ~ Page 4 of 29 ~ Roaming Rocks

Day 32: O’Cebreiro to Tricastela

By admin

On June 2, 2023

In Camino de Santiago 5/2023

Miles: 16.1 Steps: 35,250

Todays selfie:

Talk about big slugs. What if slugs were just snails who got a divorce…”Yep she got the house!”

Statue of a pilgrim at the top of the hill.

**Advice from a Tree**
Dear friend
Stand tall and proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of your true nature
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The energy and birth of spring
The growth and contentment of summer
The wisdom to let go of leaves in the fall
The rest and quiet renewal of winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!

I had a vino tinto with dinner and met up with Cindy, Lou, Brenda and Diana.

More bathroom humor. What is even happening in the top one?

I was very happy to check into my room at the Iberik Hotel Tricastela. It was very new and clean and even included breakfast.

My bruise from my fall 4 days ago is doing much better.

Day 31: Vega de Valcarce to O’Cebreiro

By admin

On June 1, 2023

In Camino de Santiago 5/2023

Miles: 10.08/Steps: 22,061

Todays Selfie

Today I started out walking along the river. About halfway thru the hike, it became very steep and we climbed to the very top of the valley. It was one of the steepest climbs to date but worth it for the views. It was mainly a dirt path and we hit some crazy mud as well because it had been raining. About halfway up the hill a dog came up behind me from out of nowhere and walked with me for about 10 minutes. There was no owner anywhere and we weren’t sure where he came from.
I met up wtith some cows and also met up with Joe from Seattle. We walked together a bit and kept catching up to each other. He got bed bug bites so we stuck together to get him some medicine and make sure he was ok. (He was)

There were some storks hanging out on the hill.

This turn right here was where it started the steep incline.

A lot of people take horses up the hill because it is so steep.

Well hello perro from nowhere!! Show me the way!!

This coffee shop oozed with love. Love for the neighbor’s daughter who adored the owner, love for the pilgrims who were tired from the steep climb, love for good music, love for life!

Made it to Galicia for the first time in 20 years. This would be the equivalent of returning to California after being out of the country for 20 years. It feels good to be home!

This is my favorite couple on the Camino. Dadi and her boyfriend Misghana remind me of Howard and myself when we traveled around Australia. There is something special about travel during the initial stages of a relationship. I feel like you just know if it will work or not pretty quickly and as an outsider, their relationship appears to operate like a well oiled machine! I hope he earns the title of the official souvenir of this trip! Secondly, Dadi was the first one on the scene when I fell on the way to Molinseca and she was so kind and caring. Thirdly they are just a lot of fun!

I made it to O’Cebreiro, had a nice lunch, walked around the village a bit and checked into my room. I had a private room again and it was so nice.

I know it’s probably not appropriate to snap a picture of the priest during the pilgrim mass. That said, a) it was a great mass that infused Spanish and English well. b) there was a great pilgrim blessing afterwards and c)tell me he doesnt look like Dr Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) from Greys Anatomy. Hubba Hubba.

After mass I went to dinner with a group but only got a picture with Diana from Australia who I adore!

Walking back to my room I saw these amazing rainbows! It was absolutely beautiful.

It was a beautiful end to a great day!

Day 30: Villafranca to Vega de Valcarce

By admin

On June 1, 2023

In Camino de Santiago 5/2023

Miles: 12.58/ Steps: 27,553

Todays selfie!

Happy Birthday and farewell to Nikki! I decided to split the next stage into 2 parts so Nikki left early in the morning to do a lot of walking and I went back to bed to sleep some more! I am starting to feel the beginning signs of getting sick and am trying to do what I can to prevent it!

Today was supposed to be pretty flat and along the river so I was confused when I came across these arrows with a super steep hill. I soon realized that there were 2 routes and these arrows were pointing to the more difficult one. Today I turned around and took the one that was easier.

There are so many Pilgrim statues along the way. All of them are so very different.

We walked thru so many small villages. Some were thriving and some were really empty and deserted. This was such a cute block of houses. The cats even realized it was a great place to live!

Not sure why this was hanging from the ceiling but it felt picture worthy.

Todays dog picture. He was guarding its house and barking at everything that walked by.

So many cute villages along the path today.

I walked next to the river most of the day. It was a gorgeous walk!

This deer and I walked together for about 5 minutes until it decided to cross the street.

Nikki, Ferenc and I started the same day. We all walked together until I needed my rest day in Estella and Nikki and Ferenc walked together another week before he needed to start walking longer distances so he could finish by June 1st. We kept in touch the entire time and he got to Santiago on May 29th. In order to say goodbye to each other, he rented a car, picked me and Nikki up and we all went to lunch in O’Cebrero. It was great to get the group together again!

I think this would be the “Women’s Bathroom”.

I think this is meant to be the men’s bathroom.

It was so fun to get the group together again and so appreciative of Ferenc for renting the car and coming to get us! The drive back to my hostel stressed me out a bit because I could see the steep inclines I needed to walk the next day.

I stayed at the Pension Fernandez in Vega de Valcarce. My private room was cute and such a deal for only $20! The only problem is that there was only one plug and it was high up on the wall opposite from the bed…I had packed a 6 foot charging cable and it really was one of the best things I brought.

I got the best sleep last night though which is really all that matters.

Day 29: Molinseca to Villafranco

By admin

On May 30, 2023

In Camino de Santiago 5/2023

Miles: 20.75/Steps: 45,432

Todays Selfie

We woke up to seat cushions on the stairwell and lovely postcards for everyone from the hostel manager. It was such a special touch.

All was quiet in the world when I left town.

The Pilgrim fountain and the birds chirping were the only noises to be heard.

I had read about this tree before coming. A man from the Japanese Sister City carved this Buddha into the tree and was able to do so without killing it. It was pretty phenomenal to look at although it did look a bit like female genitalia.

Joe from Seattle and I tried to capture the sunrise pictures but photos don’t do it justice.

I walked the first part of the hike with him this morning. I’ve met a lot of people and heard a lot of stories on the hike but have to say Joe has lived (and still is living) the most amazing life and has the best stories. If he ever decides to write a book, I would be the first to buy it.

The walk into Ponferrada

Breakfast of champions while overlooking the castle. Funny story about this breakfast. My asthma inhaler fell out of my bag while I was here. Luckily Joe found it and knew it was mine. He and I know the same people on the Camino and knew people that were ending in the same town I was and was able to hand it off to the right people. Not kidding, I had it in hand by 8:00pm that night!

Wall art while walking out of Ponferrada.

There were 2 paths to get to our final destination. I didn’t realize the one that I took added an extra 30 minutes to the walk but it was gorgeous and away from the road. Lots of grapevines!

There were beautiful churches and buildings as I walked into Villafranco.

Since tonight was going to be our last night together, (I split a harder stage into 2 days) Nikki invited me to stay with her in her private room. She sent me her details the night before and we realized that she booked her room in the Villafranco near Barcelona! In a panic, we were able to find this beautiful room in a gorgeous hotel. It was our last big treat on the Camino and so fun! A bunch of us got together to celebrate Nikki’s birthday for dinner (a day early)! We even had feathers and candles for the cake! 😊

Savina, Nikki, Caroline, Lou, Jette, Me and German Anna

Happy Birthday Nikki!

Day 28: Rabanal del Camino to Molinseca

By admin

On May 30, 2023

In Camino de Santiago 5/2023

Miles:19.15 Steps: 41,926

Todays Selfie

Today was one of the hardest days so far but it was so beautiful it was worth it. It was almost 2000 feet incline and 2600 feet decline. The views were amazing and there were so many amazing distractions that it made the day such a happy memory despite the rocky ground and fall that I had going downhill (I’m fine…just a few bruises luckily!). I started in the dark because it was a long walk and I didn’t want to be walking in the hot afternoon.

Cruz de Ferro

Cruz de Ferro is a wooden post that has an iron cross on top that has a lot of sentimentalism for Pilgrims on the Camino. At the bottom, there is a mound of rocks and other items that has been forming over the years due to the tradition of pilgrims bringing stones here from their homes. Stones are left to symbolize you leaving all your burdens behind. I brought 3 stones with me. 2 from home and one from the beginning of the Camino and associated 3 different worries to them. I have left them at the cross and set them to the universe to take care of. It was a very emotional morning for all the pilgrims actually. You could see a lot of people left a lot of fears, worries and sadness on that mound.

After the cross, we had a crazy decent that was rocky and steep. It helped to distract people from their thoughts becuase they really had to focus on their steps.

Here are some pictures from the day.

The path was horrible today. It was either very rocky or uneven panels of rocks. I couldn’t have imagined what it would have been like in the rain.

We walked thru several small villages. Most were deserted.

Lily and her Dad reminded me of Rocket and Howard.

In the middle of nowhere this angel was standing and selling cherries. It was such a nice reprieve from the long and arduous walk.

There were so many butterflies who visited me while walking. It really kept me motivated.

I have never been so happy to get to my destination!

View from the bridge and actually where I spent most of the afternoon sipping wine, eating lunch, watching pilgrims walk in (over the bridge) and enjoying the rest.

Bridge leading into town. (Mentioned above).

Sen0r Oso is a great albergue. Jose was an amazing host and the hostel was very comfortable and clean.

Nikki graciously gave me the bottom bunk. Our hostel was great and the owner was phenomenal.

This is where I will be walking to tomorrow morning!

After filling ourselves with good food and good wine, we headed home before it started to rain. We hung out in the common room for a bit and then called it a night. I had a bad cough and had to leave the room a couple of times so I wouldn’t keep everyone awake. It also go a bit hot because Nikki and I were sharing with 2 men who radiated so much heat and no one opened the windows before we went to sleep.

Day 27: Astorga to Rabanal del Camino

By admin

On May 28, 2023

In Camino de Santiago 5/2023

Miles: 15.44/ Steps: 33,811

Todays selfie

Let’s talk about Spanish bathrooms!

Bano Facts:

~If you want to use a restaurant’s bathroom you have to buy something.

~Most bathrooms have motion sensors lights. If you sit still for too long the lights will go out.
~If there is toilet paper, it is never on the roll but rather sitting somewhere else.
~A lot of toilets don’t have seats and if they do they are often cracked or they are loose.
~There is never soap or paper towels.

~Bathrooms are specified for men and women but nobody pays attention to the signs.
~There is always a mop in the bathroom

Below are some random pictures from the day.