- Time of past OR future Camino
- 1989, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024...
I wasn't sure I was going to post "live from the Camino" for this Camino. I'm happy to do so on my solo Caminos, but when I am walking with family, my focus is a little elsewhere and I am mindful of the privacy of my companion. But here goes. Just know that it won't be as detailed as the threads from last year.
In a sense, today is the first day of this Camino. In another sense, it is the third, and in another sense it is the fifth. It is the fifth day since we set out from Villafranca del Bierzo. It is the third day we have walked. And it is the first of what will hopefully be a continuous walk to Santiago.
After leaving Canada on the 5th and arriving in Spain on the 6th we made our way to Leon where we slept the night in Hospederia Pax. By sheer coincidence, the fellow I had walked some of the Camino de Madrid with last year was also in Leon at the albergue next door, ready to start his Camino de San Salvador. So we met for a drink and a bit of a chat before bed.
The next morning we set out by bus to Astorga where we had breakfast, bought some chocolate, and saw a bit of the town before taking the bus to Villafranca. Here we had a private room in an albergue. And here, during dinner, we met and had a lovely chat with @MARSKA.
On the morning of the 8th we set out to walk to Trabadelo on the high route with a detour through Pradela. It was a beautiful walk, and we really enjoyed breakfast at the albergue in Pradela with the homemade chestnut cake. We spent that night at Casa Susi, as my daughter's introduction to albergue life proper. The communal dinner was wonderful but it was becoming clear that my daughter wasn't feeling well.
She held up through the walk to Las Herrerías early the next morning, where we had reserved horses to take us up to O Cebreiro but, while she had a brief revival there, it was clear that she wasn't feeling well and she asked if we could take a cab to Liñares where we had reserved beds in the albergue. The next day we bussed to Triacastela where we rested for a couple of days before setting out on this morning's very short walk to Casa Forte de Lusío. They were a very quiet couple of days, but we did make it out for a comida with @Pelegrin and his cousin yesterday, before walking back on the path for a kilometer to see the ancient chestnut tree.
As mentioned, today we are staying in Lusío. The Xunta albergue is in a magnificent 18th century estate house, all nicely renovated. The hospitalera, Eugenia, is wonderful and dropped by the dorm to offer us beautiful little regalitos of crocheted ornaments. There are 60 beds, according to what you read. We are the only ones here. Tomorrow we walk to Samos. I'm hoping to gradually increase the distances we walk to something more standard. It is pretty clear we won't make it to Santiago for the 17th, but I'm hoping to have a better idea of when we will arrive before trying to change my reservation at San Martín Pinario.
Photos: looking back at Villafranca del Bierzo just at the start of our climb towards Pradela, riding horses to O Cebreiro, sunrise in Liñares, ancient oak just before Triacastela, albergue in Lusío.
In a sense, today is the first day of this Camino. In another sense, it is the third, and in another sense it is the fifth. It is the fifth day since we set out from Villafranca del Bierzo. It is the third day we have walked. And it is the first of what will hopefully be a continuous walk to Santiago.
After leaving Canada on the 5th and arriving in Spain on the 6th we made our way to Leon where we slept the night in Hospederia Pax. By sheer coincidence, the fellow I had walked some of the Camino de Madrid with last year was also in Leon at the albergue next door, ready to start his Camino de San Salvador. So we met for a drink and a bit of a chat before bed.
The next morning we set out by bus to Astorga where we had breakfast, bought some chocolate, and saw a bit of the town before taking the bus to Villafranca. Here we had a private room in an albergue. And here, during dinner, we met and had a lovely chat with @MARSKA.
On the morning of the 8th we set out to walk to Trabadelo on the high route with a detour through Pradela. It was a beautiful walk, and we really enjoyed breakfast at the albergue in Pradela with the homemade chestnut cake. We spent that night at Casa Susi, as my daughter's introduction to albergue life proper. The communal dinner was wonderful but it was becoming clear that my daughter wasn't feeling well.
She held up through the walk to Las Herrerías early the next morning, where we had reserved horses to take us up to O Cebreiro but, while she had a brief revival there, it was clear that she wasn't feeling well and she asked if we could take a cab to Liñares where we had reserved beds in the albergue. The next day we bussed to Triacastela where we rested for a couple of days before setting out on this morning's very short walk to Casa Forte de Lusío. They were a very quiet couple of days, but we did make it out for a comida with @Pelegrin and his cousin yesterday, before walking back on the path for a kilometer to see the ancient chestnut tree.
As mentioned, today we are staying in Lusío. The Xunta albergue is in a magnificent 18th century estate house, all nicely renovated. The hospitalera, Eugenia, is wonderful and dropped by the dorm to offer us beautiful little regalitos of crocheted ornaments. There are 60 beds, according to what you read. We are the only ones here. Tomorrow we walk to Samos. I'm hoping to gradually increase the distances we walk to something more standard. It is pretty clear we won't make it to Santiago for the 17th, but I'm hoping to have a better idea of when we will arrive before trying to change my reservation at San Martín Pinario.
Photos: looking back at Villafranca del Bierzo just at the start of our climb towards Pradela, riding horses to O Cebreiro, sunrise in Liñares, ancient oak just before Triacastela, albergue in Lusío.