Camino Day 39: Ponte Ulla to Santiago de Compostela

Since we scored a private room for our last night on the Camino, there was no rustling of backpacks to wake us up early. Ergo, we slept until a little after 7 am and finally made our way down for coffee a shortly after 8. Today's walk to Santiago was a mere 21km, so we …

Camino Day 35: Xunqueira de Ambía to Ourense

Maybe it was the clean laundry or, perhaps, the early bedtime, but we slept soundly last night and were eager to get on the road. After all, there's a private room with cotton towels waiting just 25km away. (Look, just try wearing all synthetic clothing and sleeping in a different bed every night for two …

Camino Day 30: Asturianos to Puebla de Sanabria

Last night was a nightmare. As in, we bunked near the absolute worst snorer Mikey has ever experienced - and this isn't his first time at the proverbial rodeo. From the rapid-fire gasping for breath to the sound of respiratory drowning and explosive bronchial thunder, we can only surmise that the offender is a very …

Camino Day 29: Rionegro del Puente to Asturianos

We slept a little late today since the cafe didn't open until 8 am and Mikey really needed coffee today. Many Camino towns have various displays of pilgrim-related art. A lot of it is by local artists and approved by local councils. Most of it is pretty bad. The weather also appeared to be really …

Camino Day 28: Tábara to Rionegro del Puente

With the exception of two loud pilgrims who were stomping around at 5:30 am, We were the first to leave the albergue just after having coffee at 7 am. Let's face it - we can get an early start while still maintaining civility. The sunrise was very beautiful this morning and it looked as though …

Camino Day 25: Villanueva de Campeán to Zamora

The albergue emptied out rather quickly this morning as all were excited about the short hike (18km/11 miles) into the walled city of Zamora. It's funny how distances like these become negligible when one averages between 30 and 40km each day. But, as expected, there are always those who do more and those who do …

Camino Day 24: Calzada de Valdunciel to Villanueva de Campeán

Stereotypes be damned, our German bunk mates were not very punctual this morning. So, as usual, Mikey counted it as a win since he was not the last to set out this morning. This was the creek over which we crossed this morning. As it was just 7:30 am, we caught a beautiful sunrise that …

Camino Day 23: Salamanca to Calzada de Valdunciel

As we've mentioned before, one of the hardest parts of staying in a private room at a hotel is leaving it behind. So, instead of waking early to beat the AM bathroom rush, we hit snooze and relaxed knowing that there was no competition for sinks or whatnot this morning. Yes, we packed most of …

Camino Day 21: Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to Morille

We had the option today of taking one of two paths. Practically equal in distance, one led through two towns to our destination while the other climbed up a mountain and had no stops en route to refill on water or food. Given our double day yesterday (and still sore feet), we decided to opt …

Camino Day 20: Aldeanueva del Camino to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra

As we mentioned before, today was to be a "marathon day." By this, we mean exceeding the 42 kilometers that comprise a normal marathon race. Why do this? Well, Mikey got a really good rate on a hotel for our scheduled rest days in Salamanca but forgot to check its cancellation policy prior to booking. …

Camino Day 19: Oliva de Plasencia to Aldeanueva de Camino

What a wonderful night of sleep we had! The beds were so comfortable and Mikey barely noticed anyone else in the room. As a very diplomatic pilgrim put it, "Oh, Mikey, you're a very light snorer." Hmmm... On our exit, we encountered still more crocheted decorations about the town. Let's just say A for effort …

Camino Day 18: Galisteo to Oliva de Plasencia

We left the walled city of Galisteo in an early morning fog. While not unusual to experience morning fog in these parts, the river crossing and dramatic views of the city played well with it. This is a view from a medieval bridge that spans across the river. Looking back on the city was almost …

Camino Day 16: Casar de Cáceres to Cañaveral

Wow, these pilgrims were on the move this morning! We woke just before 7 am and were the last to leave by 7:30! Although not too proud of our slumber, on a positive note, we noticed this metal sign while turning out the lights in the albergue: Rough translation: "Go, Pilgrim. Go to Santiago. Give …

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