Destination Santiago Peregrino 60

Glad I walked through the higher mountains yesterday as today the cloud came down and the forecast was for rain. However rested from a good night's sleep and with the knowledge of only 7 km to do today to complete one of my "missing links" it was ultreia! First village to encounter was Campo.  Typical narrow streets linear settlement and on a hill- almost like the Black Country! Very few people about but I did speak to three guys between here and Ponferrada.  Lovely bridge to mark the entrance to the town. Ponferrada has plenty of them. It's most famous as you might expect is Pons Ferrada - Iron Bridge.  it was iron and steel and coal that put this place on the map during the Nineteenth century as in many parts of Western Europe.  This industry saw the building of a now closed railway from Ponferrada to the mines and up the valleys. Narrow gauge and "vapor" of course. The railway closed in the late Twentieth century and th...

An early start this morning for a long uphill haul through the mountains. A climb to 1500m. The scenery was stunning as the sun came up.  It cost a lot of energy and sweat to get to Cruz de Ferro, one the Camino's iconic spots. I had enough energy to sing "Santo,Santo,Santo " there leaving my praise to God rather than another stone as most do.  The obligatory selfie followed.... It was later when I met Tomas, the Orthodox Monk who has single handedly repopulated Manjarin (pop 1) that he told me two more uphill km. It was as I began the descent that I realised my feet were not going to make this. I persevered for a couple more km but to no avail. The local taxi firms were on vacation so not for the first time on a Camino (remember Bill needing a taxi Chaya?) That prayer was deployed. Five minutes later along comes a fruit dealer in his truck. He gave me a lift to Molinaseca. As we descended from the mountains I realised that there was no...

I write this at the end of the day with aching feet in a single dormitory municipal Albergue. There is one sleeping Korean peregrina opposite me, everyone else has gone for food and beer. The pellet fuelled stove is pushing out some warmth and that is most welcome . This has been for me a long 22 km slog uphill and ended in traditional Camino style with a rocky path uphill twice as steep as the rest all day. In a touch of ironic Camino humour the fence at the side of this path is covered with crosses. A Via Crucis. A way of the Cross.  I don't remember the TV pilgrims spotting that irony, or is it absolutely apt. Following on the footsteps of Jesus is not a walk in the park. It does aggravate spiritual blisters, it is wearing, and often it hits us as we long to reach the warmth and security of the next spiritual Albergue. 

Today I began at first light and what a fabulous sunrise. From the death of sleep a new day is born. As the graffiti along the way frequently says "no death no new birth" . Or more traditionally " death precedes resurrection.  My footsteps were careful to begin with today, and most of the journey after the battering my feet received yesterday. Whilst I was wishing maybe I hadn't walked quite so far, I got the feeling that I may have been a twist, but God still loved me a lot. How much? We'll take a look... I think the Spanish for giants is "Los Gigantes"  so this moment was an encouraging one.  After about 12 km I came across an amazing "aire de descanso" run by a man whose name escapes me. He offered everything to pilgrims free. Donations welcomed but not sought. He has lived in this spot for ten years doing just this. He reckons he has met a million people. He was once a mechanic for Moto GP and has been to Silverston...

What a beautiful morning to start walking once more. The cathedral was bathed in gentle early morning light. As we're a number of other beautiful places along the way. I had planned to walk to Villadangos but as the forecast for later in the week, including Monday was not good I continued to Hospital de Orbigo. A 30 km day, not a brilliant plan for day one as my feet have reminded me. However it took 11 km off day two which is a lot of km in wet weather.  Hospital greets you with an amazing Roman bridge, restored recently and the site of reenactment jousting competitions in July each year. The big reward at journey's end today was a splendid but simple pilgrim menu at the Albergue. The only other guest a German lad recovering from a Leon beer based hangover. I am not sure how he made 30 km like that!  The bar at the Albergue served the local community too and Sunday afternoon is for "La Liga" . Spanish men it seems are passionate about their fo...

If you followed this blog back in 2018 you will remember that blisters caused some parts of the Camino to be missed. My late mum used to tell me "if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again" so here I am once more. It feels a bit odd as I flew into Santiago and embraced St Iago at the start! The cathedral was closed for worship so I went to Santa Maria and Salome for mass. It was odd being among around a hundred young adults with only a few oldies! I did have time to discover places that I missed last time, and even one of the Semena Santa floats that didn't come out because of the rain in 2018. It is often said of pilgrimage that it is not the destination but the journey that matters. So with that in mind I start walking once more from Leon in the morning, with a sense deja vu as I have stayed in the Benedictine monastery albergue before. It did give me the opportunity of joining the community for sung vespers in Spanish which was good for the soul. Beautif...