The sun shone on us today proving that it does shine in Galecia. We walked over gentle rolling hills all day, which is exactly what our legs like. A highlight of the day was our accommodation which is in an old large house with stone walls 2 feet thick.
The picture shows a rest area with a nice pool of water to cool your face if necessary.
Hospital Alto da Cruz to Melide
This was a perfect day for walking with overcast skies and even temperature throughout the day. Although the scenery was nice, there was not much that was new. We arrived in Melide about 2:30 and decided to stay rather than continue on to the next village. We are trying out the Albergue experience by taking a room with shared bathroom and using our camp towel. It is certainly less convenient than a private room with en suite.
We are now only about 50 km from Santiago de Compostela.
Rente to Hospital Alta da Cruz
Today was another great day in Galecia without rain. We walked through many farms; they were small operations in which a family seemed to have a herd of 12 to 20 cows that they milked. There was a lot of grass in the pastures and the cattle looked very healthy.
On arrival in Hospital Alta da Cruz about 3:30 we had no problems getting a room in Hostal Labrador, a hotel attached to a bar.
Today was a very wet one. Other than a few minutes here and there, it rained all day. When we got a few breaks, the scenery was spectacular. We saw lots of smaller churches today including one that might hold 12 people if no one sat down. Our guide book warned us that the descent this afternoon could be slippery but they have graveled it making it much easier and safer. Without planning it we ran into our Ontario friends in the café - hotel where we are staying.
Our stay at Casa De Leo was great with a nice room and breakfast. After listening to rain overnight we expected rain all day but the sun was shining all the way to the height of land on the alternative route. This was almost 5 km longer and involved about 400 m of vertical , but it was well worth it. The views of the village below and of the mountains were spectacular. The flowers layered the hillsides with purple, white and yellow. Later in the morning we had intermittent rain but not enough to bother us.
We got up to a warmer than expected morning and set off under dark clouds which threatened rain. They did not đisappoint as it started to rain with an hour and continued to do so on and off throughout the day. Although we had to use our umbrellas it was quite pleasant all day. We saw a number of cute little churches today and a new way to live with the storks. They built towers next to the bell towers just a bit taller than the bell towers; they attracted the birds to build there and saved the bell tower.
The vineyards we saw today were bursting with leaves. What a change in 2 days. Also the wheat has distinct heads.
Today we started with warmer than expected weather under overcast skies and walked over the Irago Mountains. It was a beautiful walk on trails through small trees and flowers, mostly broom - like in purple, white and yellow. The hills were just covered with colour. We had our breakfast at El Acebo and slowly made our way into Ponferrada via the long route . Two of the things to see were the basica and the castle. Supper tonight was a very different lasagna and lamb topped off with a bottle of wine and a different kind of chocolate cake.
The attached picture as much of the castle as we could capture.
Today was one of our best walking days. After leaving Astorga we found ourselves in the first village in no time at all. Since the distance just melted away we waited until Santa Catalina until we stopped for breakfast and it was éxcellent. We walked through woods and over rolling hills which were easy on the legs. After checking in to El Convento in Foncebadon we walked up to Cruz de Ferro and placed stones that we had brought from Kingston. The stones are to lift the burdens of those for whom they were placed.
We had dinner tonight with fellow Canadians from Owen Sound and Niagara Falls. Dinner was great as was the company.
The picture is of Susie placing stones.
Mercedes gave us a wonderful breakfast of orange juice, toast, scrambled eggs, cake, coffee and leche caliente at 8 am. The first part of our walk was pleasant ànd after San Ibanez it was great as it took us over rolling hills until we are at the Astorga overlook.
This was Susie's third day of packing her backpack and her foot wasn't complaining too much.
The appended picture shows last night"s accommodation straddling a river.
Today started out much warmer than yesterday with the temperature being 8 C. On the way out of Leon we stopped at the Parador San Marcos which was shown in the movie "the Way". We took pictures including the Pilgrim and had our credentiales stamped in the hotel. We got to our original destination at 1 pm and decided to walk the extra 10 km to Villavante. Fortunately the Molino Galocha had lots of space for us.
Today we are real tourists and this is a rest day. After walking into Leon, we ran into a supermercado where we bought some nice strawberries and bananas. We ate them on a bench near the store. After finding the cathedral we went to our hotel which was 2 minutes away. It was very nice and very reasonable at €29.
Our next stop was a tour of Leon Cathedral which is a highlight of the Camino. It was built in the 13th century in a very short time, just 50 years. The details of the wood and stone artistry were so impressive.
Then it was off to deal with the mundane, buy moleskin and lunch
After a rest we went for a little walk through the downtown area which got us to the Basilica San Isadoro. We went in and attended mass.
Today was an early start day because we had a 17.4 km run with no facilities. The most interesting sights were 4 deer I didn't think that we would see any because I don't think of Europe as a place for wildlife. It was cold when we started, 1 above zero but at least it was not below. One benefit of the cold start was finishing drying my socks which I wore to keep my hands warm. The walk was quite easy today as neither of us felt tired at 30 km.
Terradillos de los Templarios to Calzadilla de los Templarios
At Moratinos we looked at an interesting underground structure which housed a remnant of a winery, a home and a restaurant. At Sahagun we St at the market for chorizo and fresh fruit. The strawberries were great to eat on the spot .We checked into our hotel at 2:30. We Canadians dominated today as all 9 of us were Canadian
We washed more clothes today because we had the time. They dried well until the rain. Fortunately Susie got them in quickly and kept them dry.
The weather forecast for today called for rain. When we arose, it was drizzling but by the time we got out, the rain had stopped. The first 17 km to Calzadilla was straight and flat and uninspiring. We walked through endless wheat fields. We were impressed by their ability to grow such good crops in such rocky soil. Tonight we are in a new hotel in Terradillos de los Templarios .
Whoopi we have just passed the halfway point to Santiago de Compostela!
Today was the second of two rest days as we walked only a 20 and 26 km. After an hour this morning we stopped for a nice breakfast of ham and eggs. A good part of today's walk was beside a canal
We were fortunate with the weather as we are at our destination hotel by 2 pm and avoided the rain. Our lunch comprised a bunch of fruit from the market; it was éxcellent and only €2.
Last night's sleep in Castrojerez was very good- helped a lot by having a nice room and a whole house to ourselves . On leaving the village we walked on a bit of restored Roman road. We walked further than we wanted to our breakfast destination, but it was worth it; the bacon and eggs and coffee really hit the spot after 11 km. Today we received a bit of rain while walking but nothing substantial. It rained more after we checked into our hotel room. The hotel in Boadilla del Camino great as it is new and has all the amenities needed.
Today we made mistakes including forgetting to have our credentials stamped and making wrong turn. As a result we took a long time to get going today. Nevertheless we had a very pleasant day of walking over rolling country . Lots wind mills today. We stopped at San Bol to soak our feet in cold spring water and drink leche caliente. On arriving in Castrojerez we took a long time to find our hotel room because it was a house in a camp ground.
We made a mistake and got up at 5 instead of 6 AM. As a result were on the Camino just as it was starting to get light. The walk into Burgos was interesting because there were 3 options, one beside the highway, another along a less busy street and a third along the river. We took the latter although it wasn't marked and may have been longer.
Burgos is a beautiful city with many interesting churches. We found a post office in a mall so that we could mail Sullivan's birthday card. We also got me new insoles and Susie a croaky for her sun glasses.
We walked on to Tardajos and checked into our hotel. It is very nice and for the bargain price of €32. The Pilgrim menu for €10 was great- salad, stew or chicken, strawberries for dessert. They offered and we accepted seconds of the entre. We ate with a nice Irish couple.
After the usual morning routine we headed off through the village of Belorado which had some interesting Camino markers embedded in the streets. After walking through grain fields in the morning we were led up onto a high plateau in the afternoon. What a change as the terrain led us onto a high plateau and through pine forests. We met other Canadians and Australians. Around 2pm we stopped for a bite and beer- nice sandwich and hoppy beer. We got to our hotel in Atapuercà at 3:30 and checked into a really òld hotel. The door to our room was just high enough to clear my head. For dinner we started with a Russian salad which was a nice potato salad. The entrée was steak and dessert was orange cream. Dinner came with a bottle of wine and leche caliente.
We were up for 7 am breakfast of toast and coffee or hot milk. The weather forecast was for no rain so we were able to send the umbrellas ahead with a backpack. We walked into Santo Domingo easily and met a nice Australian couple with whom we walked into Granon where they stopped for breakfast. We walked on to Redicilla where we stopped for a snack and leche caliente. Today the vineyards disappeared and the grain fields returned.
We started with a so-so breakfast at our hotel and got the waitress to call the carrier company to collect a backpack. The walk out of Torres del Rio was nice in that it rolled through vineyards into Logrono. There we stopped for a nice lunch at a small cafeteria where I had a nice omelet sandwich and hot milk. We tried to get a SIM card for my phone but the phone stores were closed for 3.5 hours. We walked on to Navarette to the San Camilo Hotel, checked in, washed and went for §upper at the Pilgrim ' s
Albergue. I had a nice salad, pork,wine, dessert.
Today was an experience in wine country. We saw vineyards upon vineyards. It's no wonder that wine here is so plentiful and good. Today we started to see lots of signs that gave the distance to Santiago. In Najera we got a SIM card, Internet and time for our cell phone : it was just 15 €. At the end of the day we had a sprinkling of rain. At dinner tonight we ate with 6 others and were served family style; we really enjoyed the company.
Today was another great day of hiking on the Camino. We started with a very nice breakfast and sent one backpack ahead by shuttle. This made it much easier on Susie ' s foot. At Irache we filled two small bottles with free wine from a tap. We took the alternative route through Luquin which put us on a nice path through forests and verdant farmland. At our hotel we had a nice soak in the hot tub before supper. It's a rough life but I guess someone has to do it. We had heard that the "pilgrim" dinners were not good but so far so good. Today I had a nice salad, salmon and dessert; they also brought us a bottle of wine.
We started the day with a nice breakfast buffet àt Hotel Jakue. Their hot beverage machine was interesting with its ability to make cups of different coffees and leche caliente with the press of a button.
We exited the town via the thousand year old Puenta là Riena. The path today was very nice, hardĺy any road walking. When we arrived in Villartuerta, we were early and hot, so we laid on the grass for half an hour . Today's temperature started cool ànd warmed up nicely.
On arriving at the B&B the host gave us fresh orange juice .
Today we got off on the right foot, with a great breakfast at the AC hotel. The weather was perfect, no rain and a mix of sun and cloud. Susie 's shoulder muscles were a bit sore so I packed a bit extra today. The path took us through farmland and several villages, which were impressive for their cleanliness. We also saw lots of wind turbines on the tops of ridges
Tonight we are staying at the Jakue Hotel
After walking downtown we rested briefly then had dinner. It was a buffet with entrée for 13 euros. Very nice with salad bar, hot sides and a good entrées. Desserts included ice cream which I thoroughly enjoyed. 
Last night we stayed in a very nice hotel, a one bedroom apartment. Today we had a good start with a nice breakfast where I got the calories needed for today's walk. The path was excellent and weather was cool enough for walking. Tonight we are in Larasoana in a B&B. The room was very nice and we had the bano to ourselves as the other people were placed on the main floor. Breakfast was juice, toast and coffee.
There are many people on the trail today.
April 2
Arrived in St Jean Piéd de Port in warmth.
The grass is green and flowers are out.
