Day 17: San Cibrao to Celeiro Although the elements were against it being a great walk, today was fabulous. Today’s challenges started as soon as I was up – no breakfast, no bars along the way until 2km before my destination, 28km, 1.000m in ascent – it was constantly up and down – and finally at least 30 rain showers, non…
Day 16: Foz to San Cibrao Back at the laundry to wash my walking clothes. If you’ve read more than a couple of my posts, you know that it isn’t something I love doing, but it needs to be done. It helps that it is pouring down outside, so there would be little else to do anyway. I slept well, apart…
Day 15: Rinlo to Foz A song from my youth, “So Close Yet So Far Away” by the Strawbs came to mind today. I was less than 200m from today’s destination, Foz, but still had to walk 12kms to get there. After a very nice breakfast, served with a stunning 270 degree view of the coast and surrounding countryside, I…
Day 14: Tapia de Casariego to Rinlo Today was my last half a day on the Camino del Norte. Whilst pilgrims on their way to Santiago walk inland, I will continue along the coast following the Ruta Natural del Cantabrico to Ortigueira and the Costa Gallega/Camino Ingles to A Coruna. The rain had stopped and I woke up to a mostly cloudy…
Day 13: Villapedre to Tapia de Casariego Not a great day for walking. Not only was it a below average stage, 30kms, next to no coast, lots of farmland and lots of road, if you add, that it rained for most of the last 20kms, and I couldn’t find my headphones, it was far from a great day. It was also the…
Day 12: Cadaveau to Villapedre I think that this morning’s walk was probably the best so far with great views along the coast on an alternative route to the Camino route, the Ruta de la Cangrexa. This afternoon was so-so. I walked all day in glorious sunshine, which of course always helps. Breakfast was typical Spanish, well at least all…
Day 11: Cudillero to Cadaveau The weather was back to its beautiful best, sunny, some clouds and temperatures around 15 degrees, perfect for one of the most strenuous days with 34km and over 1000m in elevation. I left Cudillero in the peace and quiet of a Sunday morning, next to nobody around. Very different than when I’d gone to bed…
Day 10: Aviles to Cudillero There are days to remember, and days to forget. Often the days to forget are the ones you remember. I have never before been so wet when walking. Until today, given I am on the Spanish northern coast, notorious for changing weather and rain, I’ve been lucky. On previous days it has rained but nothing…
Day 8: Villaviciosa to Gijon With breakfast at 7.30, and after a good chat with a German walker staying at the hotel, I was on my way by 8.10. It was interesting to hear his reasons for walking, to put a stressful daily routine behind him, recharge his batteries and as a time for reflection. He preferred to walk alone.…
Day 7: Colunga to Villaviciosa Not a lot to tell about today, met a number of fellow walkers and a Spanish guy spoke Swedish to me. Today was the shortest day of walking on this trip, 18km. Last night I read that there was a dinosaur museum close to Colunga, that would have added 5-6 km to my walk to…
Day 6: Nueva to Colunga Yesterday I was sitting in the sunshine, today it is cold and cloudy, and just now I am doing my favourite activity whilst travelling, washing clothes at the local laundromat. I carry clothes for 5-6 days – I’d rather carry more clothes than wash more frequently – some people only carry clothes for 2 days…
Day 5: Puertas to Nueva A beautiful days walking in the sun, a dramatic nose bleed, inland beach and stone arch at the end of a gorge. I’m writing this sitting on a bench in the small town of Nueva. It’s late but warm, as it has been all day. I was on the road by 9.00 after a nice…
Day 3: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente de la Barquera It was a long day where I was off track to see Gaudi’s summer cottage and Santana helped me through the last 7 or so kms. A planned 33km with 800m elevation, ended up as 36kms and a couple of tired feet at the end of the day. To make it worse, the whole day…
Day 2: Boo de Pielagos to Santillana del Mar If it’s going to rain, it should rain on days like today, the next shortest stage, lots of industry and lots of road walking. That wasn’t the case – glorious sunshine all day. After breakfast I took the train to Mogro, as did 10 or so other pilgrims. I did not realise that Santander has…
Day 1: Santander to Boo de Pielagos The weather could have been better for a first day walking, a mix of pretty much everything – wind, rain, sun, cold and warm. But the walking was fantastic. It is difficult to understand that the majority of pilgrims walk through the outskirts of the city, all road and a mix of housing, commercial businesses…
Day 0: Copenhagen to Santander Today I embark on the 4th stage of my walk between Sagres on the Algarve coast of Portugal and the Italian capital, Rome. My three previous stages took me from Sagres to Porto, Porto to A Coruna in northern Spain, and Roquefort on the Cote d’Azur to La Spezia in the Cinque Terre National Park…
Day 21: Barizo to Malpica (and home) My last walking day. The reason for the marathon 38km stage yesterday was that I need to be in Malpica by 13.00 to catch a bus. The owner of the pension that I stayed at yesterday told me it would only take 2 hours and it was flat all the way. With 350m elevation over…
Day 20: Ponteseco to Barizo Planning a 36km stage is always a risk – bad legs, bad weather, tougher terrain than expected…. Doing 36 km should really be a decision one makes on the day. But given I book hotels ahead, I am stuck with the decisions I made back when I planned the walk. And behind a desk, I’m…
Day 19: Camelle to Ponteceso Another early rise in advance of another long day. I left Camelle as the church bells rang for 8.00, 15 minutes before sunrise. It was still a bit dark. The early start was due to an administrative error on my side. Today’s official stage to Laxe is only 15km, which is too short a stage…
Day 18: Camarinas to Camelle It’s days like today, that are the reason I walk. All the hours one spends walking through industrial areas, big cities, small town suburbs or along busy roads. Or the fact that I thought olive oil was honey and poured it on my only slice of bread today, or that I again had to scramble…
