Burgos
We decide to stay few more days for severals reasons: The children need to catch up on school, my parents are coming to bring us the suitcase containing the rest of our things that we will send by post to Santiago and Janet is not feeling very well, surely because of fatigue…
We do the COVID test just in case…
Positive!!! OMG and my parents are on the way! … She will wear a mask.
We will still spend a good time with them.
Leon
After lengthening our stay in Burgos by one day so that Janet can continue to recover from the Covid. I buy train tickets for Leon the next big city, it also allows us to avoid the most boring part of the path.
Ouch! I got the wrong days and our tickets are out of date and of course there are no more trains and buses available, Panic! We have a reservation planned in an Albergue… No choice: Hep Taxi!
Mission accomplished! We made it! We stay in the old town which looks very festive. After a few tapas the children stay at the hostel and we leave for a romantic evening walk.
Astorga
A new long day awaits us and it promises to be very hot with a fairly steep path but a postcard landscape.
We sometimes have to cross the highway which is very busy with trucks.
It is time for us to arrive at Astorga..
We take advantage with Janet to take a tour of the city to admire its Gothic cathedral and the episcopal palace designed by Gaudi
Molinaseca
We have to catch up on our delay so it’s a new long walk that awaits us today. We are going more and more into the mountain ranges.
We will pass by the famous cross where pilgrims leave a personal object.
We will also visit the hermit hut.
After a long steep descent and a few crossings of picturesque villages, we arrive at our destination: Molinaseca.
Las Herrerias
We leave the hostel early pushed by a rather grumpy host. The taxi that will advance us a little will confirm its reputation.
This morning we follow the road for the majority of the way. It is a very green landscape that surrounds us.
We arrive at Las Herrerias which has a fell of an alpine village crossed by a pretty little river where we refresh ourselves.
O Cebreiro
Departure in the morning mist towards O Cebreiro.
On the way we meet our first family of four children, they come from Israel.
If there is a village that I had to choose on the Camino I think it would be this one. By its location and its architectural and picturesque charm. It reminds me of my childhood vacation village.
Fronfria
After spending the night in a barn transformed into a dormitory, we start our day by taking more or less steep mountain paths.
But fortunately the walk will be of short duration today because we have not found accommodation for the next stage, only a brand new hotel a few kilometers away.
Ferreiros
Once again we start the day by transport to Sarria, it is from this city that many pilgrims start the camino because it corresponds approximately to the last 100 km necessary to validate the pilgrimage to Santiago.
We will meet many walkers on its rocky trails. Finally we land in a refuge in the middle of the countryside where we will spend the night.
Palas de Rei
Departure rather cool, in a morning mist.
We stopped at a couple of elderly house who have decorated their inner courtyard beautifully, to have breakfast. Journey to rural and verdant Spain.
To enter the city of Portmarin we have to cross a bridge of a dizzying height, the pedestrian way being very narrow it is better to look ahead!
We will finally arrive at Palas De Rei where I will not dwell on the details (it is not a very pleasant city).
Melide
Another beautiful day awaits us, we will meet more and more pilgrims on the way as well as groups of students.
The medieval stone villages delight us.
But the children hurry to get to our next accommodation as quickly as possible, where there is a swimming pool… but not heated. Mixed the capital of the octopus, we will absolutely have to taste the specialty.
A Lavacolla
After a good night of digestion and rest, we begin our penultimate stage towards A Lavacolla, it’s the last 50 kilometers that separate us from Santiago.
It is there that we meet an Australian couple accompanied by two young children who are also traveling le world for a period of four months.
We will end the day in the last dormitory of our Spanish adventure. We must not go to bed late because tomorrow we have to get up early for the final stopover.
Santiago de Compostela
Waking up very early and wet for this ultimate and last stage of our long journey. Indeed we start walking in the light of our headlamps and under a light rain.
Even if the day is not looking good, we remain motivated.
We cross the big city of Santiago in the greyness.
Even if the day is not looking good, we remain motivated to complete this final day of walking.
And it is with a lot of emotions that we take the last steps on the famous square of Santiago like all the other pilgrims. Despite the pain, fatigue and discouragement we complete one of our biggest challenges of this trip. Without really having done the precise calculation, I think that we covered about 350 km (217 miles) on foot with the backpacks except once. It fills us with joy and pride!
We stay another day in Santiago to recuperate and to participate in the famous Botafumerio mass where we are invited by a pilgrim in honor of his deceased brother.
It is now necessary to move on, direction Madrid to take the plane for Turkey.
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