Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain
Last year, we took a short day trip to the city of A Coruña following the Camino del Norte. It was fun, but we regretted not staying longer. So, Mikey cashed in some Hotels.com points and we got a pretty simple room for two nights. It was a very standard (but free) room. Basically, we …
Yep, you guessed it - this is a whole post dedicated to food and drink found at the end of the Way. Regardless of which path a pilgrim takes, he ends up here and gets to try some amazing dishes. Part reward and part exploration of Spanish and Galician gastronomy, Santiago is a food and …
Continue reading "Santiago de Compostela: The Food & Beverage Edition"
Having made it to Santiago, we settled in for a few days of rest and relaxation. Naturally, this included time at the cathedral. Let's face it, if we're going to trek 1172km to Santiago, its kind of a given that we'd spend a little time with Saint James and his huge church. Again, the weather …
Continue reading "Santiago de Compostela: A Tourist Once Again"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 39: Ponte Ulla to Santiago de Compostela"
It's interesting how pilgrims begin to scramble the closer they get to Santiago. We had, yet again, a beautiful night's rest and were surprised to see a mere three pairs of shoes in place of the 40-some odd that were on the rack last night. Yes, it was 7:30 am when we left the cafe …
Talk about crashing out and being dead to the world! Mikey slept like a log all bundled up against the cold inside the monastery. Let's face it, when you wake up and can see your breath that warm blanket is a godsend. We finally got a good shot of the monastery as we walked away …
As you might suspect, we were late getting started following our rest day. But, by 10:30 am, we began the long walk through suburbia and the unattractive industrial sections of Ourense. An interesting part was a tunnel through which we had to transit. This one was a bit different as it was only one lane …
It's funny how even our most simplistic plans of sleeping in were spoiled by the internal clock. In fact, we had to purposefully go back to sleep twice and finally resorted to putting on the television to pass time before a nearby laundromat opened at 9 am. So as not to air the proverbial dirty …
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 35: Xunqueira de Ambía to Ourense"
We woke up rather early today but tried our best to snooze until at least 6:30 am. The same could not be said about our three roommates whom Mikey has dubbed the French Von Trapps. Nope, they were awake and alert by 5:30 am. Thanks, guys, you really made our morning. Well, we also had …
Continue reading "Camino Day 34: Laza to Xunqueira de Ambía"
We left A Gudiña around 7:30 am and set out for a 35km day. Although not that ambitious of a goal, the Galician terrain is certainly much more taxing than what we've seen thus far. We walked along Main Street in the dim light of a belated dawn. (Remember that the further west we go …
The town of Lubián was nice, but Mikey swears that the albergue's Ikea bunk beds were assembled by the blind as even the slightest movement caused a violent swaying of the frame during which he feared being catapulted from the top bunk. Oh, and don't even think about a trip to the bathroom after "lights …
We didn't think that today's walk would be that long, so it was nice to sleep in and then get coffee and orange juice (Mikey's ideal Camino breakfast) in town before heading out. The village was quite beautiful in the morning light and we really wanted to stay longer. But, we had seen most of …
Continue reading "Camino Day 31: Puebla de Sanabria to Lubián"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 30: Asturianos to Puebla de Sanabria"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 28: Tábara to Rionegro del Puente"
Last night was a bit odd as our hiking family had finally dwindled down to just three who stayed in the albergue. In place of known pilgrims were a cyclist group and several new faces who had just started yesterday in Zamora. We were quite impressed by the view of the Hermitage of the Virgin …
Due to a horrible Italian snorer, we were allowed to move (along with two other pilgrims) into a nice private room last night. This was probably one of the better nights of sleep thus far in an albergue. So, we awoke very refreshed and even took a British man up on his offer of tea. …
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 25: Villanueva de Campeán to Zamora"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 24: Calzada de Valdunciel to Villanueva de Campeán"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 23: Salamanca to Calzada de Valdunciel"
After our prolonged visit to the cathedrals, it was time to get something to eat. Since the market was so close by, we stepped in to see what they might have. There was literally one fruit stand. While we also saw a local canned goods purveyor, there were few other options except for: Pork. Yep, …
You, dear reader, must believe us when we tell you how hard we tried to stay up and go out late on a Saturday night in such a fun college town. Alas, it was not to be. However, even after sleeping close to 9 hours, we had little competition from other tourists in viewing the …
Although Morille's one cafe opened at noon, the owner agreed to make breakfast for our group if we all showed up at 7 am. Although said breakfast wasn't that exciting (4€ for toast, coffee, and a juice box), it ensured that we were up and walking pretty early. Sure, they didn't have 3G (much less …
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 21: Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to Morille"
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. …
Continue reading "Camino Day 20: Aldeanueva del Camino to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 19: Oliva de Plasencia to Aldeanueva de Camino"
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 …
Continue reading "Camino Day 18: Galisteo to Oliva de Plasencia"
Now we've been locked out of albergues in the past and have had to get someone to let us in after lights out, but this morning we were locked inside the hotel. After such a tiresome and rough day of walking on asphalt, Mikey decided not to set an alarm and we didn't leave the …
Thanks, Fitbit, for letting us know how absurdly long our dear pilgrim slept last night. 10 hours...Mikey, that should be a sin! As such, we decided to go to the basilica, but - guess what - it wasn't open. Ha! Well, let's give you a brief primer on the Basilica of Mérida just in case …
Zafra turned out to be quite a nice town. Our "discovery" of a castle and the eccentric owner of that restaurant made for a fun time. The nuns (even though Mikey has a morbid, albeit totally unsubstantiated, fear of such orders) had offered a very relaxing experience and the hospitalero even shook Mikey's hand and …
Continue reading "Camino Day 11: Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros"
While we did get to bed at a reasonable 10 pm last night (all four roommates came staggering in at 3:45 am), there was no time for laundry. Ergo, 8 am found Mikey loading the washer with practically every article of clothing he has and shivering in an undershirt and running shorts for the next …
As everything had closed so early yesterday, we got up around 7 am in order to see as much as possible today. Mikey has a new favorite breakfast spot in Sevilla. In addition to his coffee and OJ, he had smoked salmon, cream cheese, caramelized red onion, and spinach on a fresh baguette (2.50€!). Then …
Here goes the last installment of our Camino blog: Following a return to the States on the 25th of July, we stopped by the family cabin in the North Georgia mountains. Here's a shot of the cabin in the woods. Yeah, it's pretty desolate, but what would you like for a time away, right? …
Portugal was definitely fun, but we headed via train to Madrid for a last couple of days before returning to the US. Following an overnight train to the Spanish capital, Mikey rested a bit and then went out exploring. Yes, this looks like a photoshopped sticker, but it's an actual sign in …
Packing took a little longer than expected, so Mikey literally had to run through the train station in Porto and jumped onboard with 20 seconds to spare! Surprisingly though, the trip was very pleasant and we flew south at speeds in excess of 220kph/135mph - basically as fast as Mikey ran to the train. …
We said a final goodbye to Santiago and headed to the bus station for the next leg of the post-Camino trip. Last year, Frank and Mikey decided to take a side trip to Porto in the north of Portugal. Mikey really enjoyed the trip, so he planned some extra time to visit the city again …
Since it took a little over a month to get here, Mikey decided to devote a full day to the Cathedral of Saint James. The most famous facade is known as the Puerta de Gloria. Although the Baroque exterior which is being renovated was a later cosmetic addition, the church was built in the …
Continue reading "Coda: The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela "
Housekeeping note: Last year, Mikey used the word "fin" to preface all posts following his and Frank's arrival in Santiago. It was intended to reference the Spanish/Latin word for end. T.S. Eliot aside ("...to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from"), there is still more to come. …
Totally unrelated to the Camino de Santiago, but Mikey has been following the Pamplona’s San Fermin festival rather closely this year. No, he’s not into bullfighting, but this is the first time he has been in Spain during the festival. This screen (like most others right now in Spain) is focused non-stop […]
Having met up with the masses from the French Camino, today was definitely uncertain as to how busy the way might be. Although many left before 6am, Mikey stuck around until 7:30 in hopes of letting the path clear out a bit. We were surprised to meet the Portuguese couple at a cafe right outside …
We bade farewell to the monastery today and headed to the penultimate stop Mikey and Frank made on their pilgrimage last year - Arzua. Although this monastery is only part of the Northern Camino, we would quickly arrive in Arzua where the our route joins up with the French and Primitive Caminos. The …
Continue reading "Camino Day 28: Sobrado dos Monxes to Arzua "
Mikey awoke well rested and ready for the last real uphill part of the Camino. While it would be much less dramatic than previous climbs, today features the highest physical point of the Camino del Norte and a whole lot of wilderness. The part Mikey was not expecting was how close we …
Continue reading "Camino Day 27: Miraz to Sobrado dos Monxes"
The band played on until 4. So, by 8am (the magical hour by which pilgrims must leave), Mikey was slowly trudging out the door. First stop was clearly coffee and orange juice. Now forgive me if we've already spoken about this, but orange juice in Spain is an interesting affair worth mentioning. …
Today was supposed to be a good bit longer of a walk, but it was as Mikey's first day back in shoes. Let's just say, it didn't go quite as expected. We left a little before 8am this morning. Above are the picnic tables where Mikey enjoyed local wine and …
Grouping these days together as they were kind of two of the same. Since we stayed on the outskirts of Gijon last night, we arrived very early in the morning. Much like San Sebastian, Gijon has a wonderfully inclosed beach in a sort of clamshell shape. High tide covers all of the sand in …
After nearly a week of clouds and rain, the sun came out today! It began with a peaceful walk out of town. This bridge reminded Mikey of many that he had seen last year on the French Camino. More importantly, the blue sky was a welcomed change. Mikey stocked up on water from this …
There is really nothing like going to sleep in a thunderstorm. The even pattering of the rain on the roof and the rolling thunder rumbling in the distance are things Mikey has grown to miss since moving out west. When this is repeated the next morning, however, it is not as enjoyable. You see, …
Just a few observations before we get started: 1) La Isla isn't an island. 2) Mikey almost skipped the walk today. 3) Rain blows - especially when it's blowing. 4) Considering said rain, we don't have a lot of pictures of today. Remember how we opened the windows last night to hear the rain? …
Today was pretty long, but the sights were stunning as usual. Upon leaving Llanes, Mikey noticed that he had not refilled the water bottles - oops. Finding no fountains along the way he really felt like he was up (*something*) Creek. Nope, it was just Poo! Yeah, that's right, there's a town called Poo. …
Mikey slept like a rock - like a rock that didn't wake to any of his 4 vibrating alarms! He was still the first up and out the door - well, except for the older lady in her underwear whom he walked in on while attempting to brush his teeth. Not sure who was more …
Today we said goodbye to the province of Cantabria and began our trek through Asturias. Although the walk was an easy-going 20 miles, Mikey wanted to have the included breakfast at his hotel. As it didn't start until 9am, we left a little later than expected. Aside from being "carb-o-licious," it was just cute! …
Today's hike was all pavement. While that was a bit tough on the feet, the views coming out of Santillana were rather stunning. Also, It rained a bit last night and so the day was overcast and cool. After yesterday's 90+ average, 68*F was so welcomed! These Cantabrians really take pride in dressing up …
Continue reading "Camino Day 12: Santillana del Mar to Comillas "
Today was definitely hard leaving Santander. After hitting snooze way too many times and crawling back under the covers, Mikey put it best by likening getting up with skydiving. I mean, why would you jump out of a perfectly good plane?! Well, the first step is the hardest. Early on, we crossed a bridge that …
Continue reading "Camino Day 11: Santander to Santillana del Mar"
OK, so where do we start? Yesterday was a shorter day in that Mikey hiked a less arduous distance, but took a ferry, checked into his hotel, and met up with the remaining Irish pilgrim from his group for a small bite. Ergo, it was busy! Well, it started raining in the early evening, …
After a peaceful night's rest at Father Ernesto's, Mikey enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of coffee, local fruit from the estate, and fresh-baked bread with homemade jams (also from fruit grown on the property.) We reluctantly bid adiós to the British couple and headed off for an easy day of coastal hiking. Yep, this was …
Today began a bit later as the first ferry to Santoña departed at 9am. Ergo, Mikey had a leisurely breakfast of coffee and stale bread courtesy of out nuns of perpetual prohibition of pleasure. I mean, for 10€, couldn't they have sprung for juice or doughnuts?! Just sayin... Anyways, we had a 5km walk …
We woke up a little late (6:30am), but well rested after a night at Camping Islares. After packing up, we headed out on what would be a mostly inland route. Still, the path led by the beach for just a bit so that we could snap a few parting pictures. Spanish infrastructure can be …
Mikey's decision to hang back in Bilbao for a day of rest now necessitated his skipping ahead a bit in order to rejoin the Irish walking group as they had continued on the Camino. A quick 20 minute bus ride from Bilbao to Castro-Urdiales got him back with the group and he only missed …
Perhaps Thoreau put it best when he wrote, "Things do not change; we change." Today was both a day of rest and a walk down memory lane. (Plaza Moyua, heart of Bilbao) In case you did not know, many years ago, Mikey was an exchange student to the Basque Country and …
GOOD-MORNING, GERNIKA!!! It's 6:30am and Mikey is on a 35km mission today. (OK, that was a bit of channeling Robin Williams, but the Irish-American team has to keep up the pace as we move through the bush today. It rained from 2-6am, so we left around 6:30. The fog stayed with us for most …
Today began much better than the previous. After coffee with a couple of new-found Irish friends, Mikey headed out of town for a brief walk alongside the highway. From the very start, the path was well marked and (most importantly) dry! Still, Mikey stopped to empty and then refill his water bottles with …
According to the Eroski "Northern Camino Guide" (Eroski is like a Basque Super Target), today's trek is one of if not the hardest of the entire Northern Camino. As the blisters and calluses have begun, Mikey took an afternoon nap after the beach yesterday and got up extra early this morning. Oh, and that …
Following a mostly restless night, Mikey was happy to get on the trail this morning. Although early departures have thus far resulted in more free time in the afternoon to explore, he's identified two major drawbacks to this strategy. 1) There are no cafés open at 6am, so this means no morning coffee. 2) It's …
So the day began again at 6am. But, as Mikey was leaving San Sebastián, he passed about a hundred teenagers who were just then stumbling out of the beachside discotheques - oh to be young! This is a view of the "Playa de Concha" or Shell Beach from the west side. Mikey got out …
So, there's that classic "journey of a thousand miles" bit, but Mikey's just doing 500. Still appropriate? Anyways, he got started at 6:03am local time and it was 17*C/63*F. While he almost considered a jacket, the uphill climb left him soaking wet in just short sleeves. But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. On the way …
¡Hola de España! Actually, that's not exactly correct. If you were to ask anyone here in the village of Irún, he would be quick to inform you that this is Euskadi, or the Basque Country. Sure, the Ibérico hams hang from the ceiling ... and an oversized bowl of olives holds pride of place on …
Today was quite an adventure in Paris. While Mikey had planned on visiting the Louvre, he just didn't feel like waiting 1.5 hours to get in. Instead, he settled in at a nice cafe and sipped on what Parisians call a cappuccino. Nice try, but this was bigger than a latte! It was very tasty …
Mikey finally made it to Europe! His direct flight from Atlanta to Paris was rather uneventful with the exception of that rough part when he made what he now surmises was an inappropriate reference to the film Airplane instead of simply declining the fish entree. (Yeah, by now he's probably on an FAA watchlist somewhere out …
Welcome to Mikey's Camino de Santiago blog! As you may know, Mikey is preparing for a 35 day (825km) pilgrimage through the northern coastal region of Spain along the Northern Camino (El Camino del Norte). Following a recent pilgrimage last Spring with his father, Frank, Mikey is going this time alone. Don't worry - there …
