Pilgrims on the Way

(from my journal) Palas de Rei 29 April 2013 We’ve made excellent progress the past two days through the undulating farm and forest lands of Galicia. We’ve certainly had our share of weird weather here, from sudden hailstorms to today’s gale-force winds, but overall it’s been sunny and cool. Galicia is a very Catholic country. You see religious emblems on […]

(from my journal) Portomarín 28 April So many pilgrims now. That sentence was, in fact, my entire journal entry for today. Starting in Sarria, the number of pilgrims on the Way increases by tenfold. I saw more pilgrims today than I probably had on the entirety of the Camino so far. So there were new challenges. Chief among them were: […]

(from my journal) Sarria 27 April Some highway walking, followed by a beautiful walk in the forests of Galicia. Lots of rain. Francine, having had very little sleep due to a drunken Englishman snoring and occasionally shouting in his sleep, dragged considerably. By the time we got to Sarria, she was done. We had lunch and bid Eamon adieu as […]

(from my journal) Royal Monastery of Samos 26 April 2013 Francine and I had a shorter walk today to Samos through beautiful Galician misty farmland and woods with Anja. During second breakfast, who should come ’round the bend but Eamon! Lunched in Triacastela and the mist finally more or less lifted. Arrived in Samos with Eamon and Francine and booked […]

(from my journal) Fonfría 25 April 2013 Today we traveled, on and off, with Iain, Anja, and a lovely Korean lady named Isabel (or, as I like to call her, Bob). The climb to O’Cebreiro was steep and rough, quite the toughest climb so far… but one. We lunched with Anja in O’Cebreiro, and also met Radek there. Radek is […]

(from my journal) Vega de Valcarce 24 April 2013 Fun hiking day in the morning, walking off and on with Smith and Tara, Santiago, and Stella and Diego. In Villafranca del Bierzo, I mailed a box home of souvenirs, the first volume of my journal, some extra clothing, and Francine’s extra knitting project. Smith and Tara also posted home a […]

(from my journal) Cacabelos 23 April 2013 On paper, this should have been our easiest day. Unfortunately, it was 27° C. We arrived in Ponferrada in good shape and only slightly behind schedule. But there was the Castle. We waited almost an hour for it to open at 11AM(ish), and we then spent over an hour exploring the structure and […]

(from my journal) Molinaseca 22 April 2013 Too tired to think properly. Spectacular climb to Cruz de Ferro, Francine, Mark, and I. Saw some peregrinos there we had prviously met in Rabanal. Saw a forest fire in the hills – two helicopters put it out. Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay […]