The valley

Well, every Camino has its time when the larger Camino family starts to stretch out. This usually happens sometime after Leon, our Camino family did this yesterday. Lynne, for several reasons, lagged behind by several km. The Maine girls and crew moved ahead over 8km. Team Texas! and I stayed the course walking a regular day’s walk landing in Cacabelos. Talking with other Pilgrims and the same story is repeated over and over.

There is definitely an air of change amongst the pilgrims but I also see new families forming, our previously looser connections becoming tighter. For me, mostly staying the course - there is a pending challenge to Team Texas! to cook a killer meal on a budget with a surprise ingredient... BUT WE NEED A FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN!!! Three days now, no functional kitchen.

Mentally, I continued to meditate on Wednesday’s intensity and still coming off the day’s energy high.

Trailwise, it's a valley plain with spread out city and urban areas. 

We only got a little bit of vineyard walking before coming into Cacabelos, our stay for last night. Our meal consisted of microwave nachos, a college treat... Maybe even more fantastic by the fact that Spanish salsa tastes just like something you would put on a hot dog, ketchup... Several of us tried it and once we assigned the ketchup label we just couldn't shake it 🤣.

Trailwise today was a contrast, starting in the valley plains and working up to a mountain valley. Having started out so early I opted to stay on the road path (well marked) vs taking the 1+km detour to a village (which I later heard was unremarkable). Solidly putting 9km behind me I stopped at 8am for breakfast and was soon joined by Team Texas!. A stop that turned into a full hour so as I later went into town to withdraw cash.

Back on the trail, always uphill, I apparently had flames coming out from underneath my feet or so people jokingly observed.

Team Texas! caught up to me briefly in the last hamlet and we were able to send Lynne a picture of us standing outside her lodging for the night.

And then we decided it was probably a good idea to move on from that hamlet rather quickly 🤣

I took plenty of rest breaks in the various hamlets and still found myself the first check-in of the day at a wonderful albergue :

https://www.instagram.com/casa.cantadora/

The owner and everything guy is an amazing personality full of energy and cheer. There is this wonderful little stream in the backyard

Where tired and sore feet got a wonderful foot soaking in the icy cold mountain stream waters.

Tonight, a large communal (vegetarian) dinner. The lunch options would have been more than enough to satisfy a day’s hunger and a self-service bar of treats, beverages, and goods allows one to have an afternoon nibble while leaving plenty of room for dinner.

The owner is very insightful and we engaged in a very wonderful and deep conversation. I will say, he loves what he does for sure.

Tomorrow, O'Cebreiro, the last of the big climbs. There will be non-stop hills from here to Santiago, but each getting smaller and smaller and less noticeable to hardened Camino legs.

📊 Camino Stats – Thu Oct 2, 2025

Day: 29

Location: Cacabelos

Stage: Molinaseca → Cacabelos (~24 km)

Total walked: ~579 km

Remaining (of 769 km): ~190 km

% complete: ~75%

Average so far: 579 ÷ 29 ≈ 20.0 km/day

Needed average to finish by Oct 13: 190 ÷ 11 ≈ 17.3 km/day

✨ Milestone Note

Long valley walk through Ponferrada and vineyards of El Bierzo.

Arrival in Cacabelos, known for wine and its riverside pilgrim hostel.

Marked the shift from mountain descent to fertile farmland.

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📊 Camino Stats – Fri Oct 3, 2025

Day: 30

Location: Ambasmestas

Stage: Cacabelos → Ambasmestas (~24 km)

Total walked: ~603 km

Remaining (of 769 km): ~166 km

% complete: ~78%

Average so far: 603 ÷ 30 ≈ 20.1 km/day

Needed average to finish by Oct 13: 166 ÷ 10 ≈ 16.6 km/day

✨ Milestone Note

Passed through Villafranca del Bierzo, the “gateway of forgiveness.”

Followed the Valcarce River valley into the mountains.

Rested in Ambasmestas, last foothold before the great climb to O Cebreiro.

THE ENERGY!!!

So I got 2 days to catch up on here .

Yesterday morning we got out early and had a good hour walking in the dark dark before predawn slowly started to light the sky and awaken the world around us. Sunrise happened almost 8:45am and means some good walking time. Someone asked why I loved walking in the dark so much - Because I walk under the stars with no light pollution, I walk with no crowds, I walk in the calm silence, AND I get to witness the world around me slowly waken from it's evening slumber. It is cool to see your shadow suddenly appear and watch how it shortens as the day progresses.

The day was largely uneventful minus the constant yet barely noticeable climb. We arrived in Rabanal and I ultimately got the pleasure of sleeping in the the tin can "double room" - it's basically a drop-in camping type module for the bathroom on my door and a bedroom in the other door. It made very quiet yet cold night for me. Only to realize there was a heater in the bathroom I could have utilized versus having to utilize 50 lb of blankets that they already had on the bed 🤣.

We were able to go to the church for the 7:00 singing of vespers from the monks who sang everything in Latin. Most of them spoke three languages very fluently, which is extremely impressive. I myself was blessed to have conversations with two of them which was the perfect precursor to today's walk.

Today, today I was awake, dressed and out of my room by 5:30. I scooched over to the main albergue I grabbed a quick breakfast we had packed the night before, did final prep and we were out the door for shortly after 6:00 this morning.

The climb is noted as getting much steeper past Rabanal however, you would not have known by watching me climb.  The next 8 km, I swear to God I had the turbocharges on as I was climbing the hill with ease almost as if I was being pulled.

My goal this morning : CRUZ DE FERRO

I wanted to be at the Rock pile for sunrise parade as lock, fate or whatever had it, not only was I there but I was actually on the pile saying my prayer as I left my burden stone behind.

Prayer at Cruz de Ferro :

I stood there in the bright pre-sunrise morning, on the mound at the cross. Holding my stone in hand I read my prayer that I had been working on for a while

"Here I stand before this cross, carrying the stone that holds my pain, my anger, and the weight of old wounds.

As I place this stone at the foot of the cross, I release these burdens from my heart.

May the earth take them, and may they trouble me no more.

I walk forward lighter, freer, and open to peace.

Let this stone remain as a sign of what I have left behind,

and let my steps from here be guided by hope, strength, and love."

I am not afraid to admit that my voice broke a few times as I embraced the power of the moment. When the prayer was complete I placed my stone on the pile at the foot of the cross. I then looked up, saw a site that warmed my heart, the cross, having been in Shadow during a sunrise moment, was lit and an intense fiery red, orange for the duration of my prayer.

When I look down, I noticed one gentleman enjoyed my prayer so much that he had put his hands in prayer formation, closed his eyes and embraced my prayer. While another lady close to me admitted she started crying during me reciting my prayer. Cruz de Ferro has a raw energy about it that is amplified by the fact that it takes most pilgrims for full weeks of walking to reach the site. By the time you reach it, you are fully into your spiritual journey and significance is not lost on you. Having been in high energy mode all morning to get there, I enjoyed plenty of time at the summit before progressing along the path taking my time at the old Manjarin site.

The descent down the back side was not gentle on the feet by any stretch in the imagination and the trail conditions in several locations had degraded leaving a trail of sore feet behind for all the pilgrims coming down. Despite the challenges I remained full of energy oftentimes boiling over all day. When Team Texas arrived in town, I gave each of them a hug, lifting them cleanly off their feet with their backpacks on and not really feeling the weight. Tonight, a group of us will be gathering at a nearby restaurant and having a wonderful Pilgrim gathering!

Yesterday and today have been absolutely full of physical energy and the mind has been exploding with epiphanies. So much of what I have been silently meditating upon the past 4 weeks has all erupted in the mind with clarity and the body has erupted with energy.

SANTIAGO - I'M COMING BACK

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📊 Camino Stats – Wed Oct 1, 2025

Day: 28

Location: Molinaseca

Stage: Rabanal → Molinaseca (~26 km, via Foncebadón, Cruz de Ferro, El Acebo, Riego de Ambrós)

Total walked: ~514 km

Remaining (per Wise Pilgrim): ~212 km

% complete: ~71%

Avg so far: ~18 km/day

Needed avg to finish by Oct 13: ~19 km/day

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✨ Cruz de Ferro Day

🪨✝️ At Cruz de Ferro, stone laid, burdens left behind, spirit lifted.

⚡ A surge of energy unlike any other stage so far — climbing, summiting, descending with strength that felt beyond yourself.

⛰️ Rocky descent mastered, carried by that same energy all the way to Molinaseca.

🌉 Arrival across the medieval bridge into one of the Camino’s most beautiful villages, glowing with the sense of pilgrimage fulfilled in the heart, even as Santiago still waits ahead.

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🌟 Reflection

Day 28 will always stand apart — not just kilometers walked, but a transformation felt. This was your spiritual summit of the Camino

Astorga

First things, we started late!  We usually aim to be walking 6:30, 7am at the latest.  We didn't wake up until 6:30!  We didn't get on the trail until almost 8am and that felt so very late. 

The "trail" they this section is mostly rock road, unfit for foot or vehicle yet we trudge thru loyaly listening to our feet and legs screaming.  But we did cross the old Roman in Hospital

Leaving town it was pretty clear on someone's opinion of the trail split choice. 

Go straight and take the official trail by the highway and you'll be sad. Take a right and take the scenic route and you'll be happy.  We took the scenic route and we were happy.

Futher down the trail I was hoping that the donativo ran by David was still in operation - IT WAS! 

It was open and run by volunteer friends and it was just as good as 10 years ago! 

After that it was a 1.5km walk to the Cruz

And our first peek at the mountains that hold Cruz de ferro

And the thirsty Pilgrim

 

Another 5k or so and we finally entered the city proper, meet some friends and found our lodging with nice big fluffy TOWELS!  Towels, I miss you almost as much as I miss my family!

A quick lunch, some laundry, and a visit to the Gaudi Palace

And calling it a night early so we can hit the trail early and get onto the actual climb early (I am beginning to see a trend there).

📊 Camino Stats – Mon Sept 29, 2025

Day: 26

Location: Astorga

Stage: Villavante → Astorga (~21 km)

Total walked: ~467 km

Remaining (per Wise Pilgrim): ~259 km

% complete: ~64%

Avg so far: ~18 km/day

Needed avg to finish by Oct 13: ~21 km/day

👉 Under 260 km left. You’re officially in the final third of the Camino.

Back on the trail

I think the late night...  No wait, early morning partiers, yeah that sounds better.  Anyways, I think they had a wonderful time this morning.  See, they stayed up partying until someone around 4am, which is fine.  PILGRIMS rise and shine at 6am....  5:30am (nature calls when it calls).  Yeah, they didn't get much sleep afterwards 🤣, hey what can I say?  FAFO

We walked thru a still very much asleep city until we got to the bus/taxi area, it was very full of people who had just finished a night of partying and we're taking taxis back home. I said before the Spanish love to party and I'll say it again - THEY LOVE TO PARTY!!!

So we got to Virgin del Camino and started down the alternate route...  You know, the BEAUTIFUL your, not straight and thru an industrial/commercial slog?...  I mean, well, the last 14km are almost perfectly straight but at least they are thru fields and have canals and the like vs car dealerships, manufacturing commercial, etc...  Yeah, NO PILGRIMS!!!!  Where did they all go?  Did they stay in LEON, go home, do the road route, ???  Don't know but only a handful of pilgrims - NICE - Seriously, our first not sold out albergue this trip. 

Our town is pretty small with a boring water tower unlike the one in the picture above

So yeah, very uneventful day, lots of walking alone along the scenic route. 

📊 Camino Stats – Sun Sept 28, 2025

Day: 25

Stage: León (bus skip to Virgen del Camino) → Villavante (~29 km including the skip start)

Cumulative walked: ~475 km

Remaining: ~295 km

% complete: ~62%

Avg so far (25 days total): ~19.0 km/day

Adjusted avg (24 walking days): ~19.8 km/day

Needed avg to finish by Oct 12: ~19.6 km/day ✅

LEON ZERO DAY!

Not much to say.

Slept in late, this first time in.....   Well, a long time and certainly the first time on Camino. A quick breakfast at a local shop then some quick exploring to plan for tomorrow mornings return to the Camino...  WHAT A SMART MOVE IT IS! They are planning a huge party for tomorrow, parades, concerts, vendor tents, etc.  They party because they love to party...  They party so much that they have the special 18 wheelers that transform into giant stages complete with lighting, video screens, speaker systems, the whole nine yards. This big rig just pulls into town. Drops off the trailer few minutes later. The whole thing is expanded, powered on, and ready for the town to rock it out.  Boy do they party, 3:30am I got up for a bathroom run and it sounded like midday outside - Amazing!  

I swear, they must be following my Camino and planning parties for all the major, and even some of the minor towns. No matter where, I seem to be heading into a weekend somebody's having a party somewhere and it's usually close by.  (Mic static "Hurry up and get those stages up, he is almost in Burgos...  Get one setup next weekend in Leon just to be safe".  Molinaseca had daytime fireworks last time I came into town, they probably will have a stage setup for a party.

Anyways, later in the morning I started walking the Camino path thru town exploring the side alleys and the wonderful architecture of this city. 

 Found my way to the Basilica de San Isodoro and did the museum visit

Everywhere you look in Leon is wonderful architecture and so many small details for you to enjoy. 

Anyways, the afternoon was filled running around getting a few items ticked off our combined lists, including a 3km round trip walk to Decathlon for Charlton to restock a few things.  No tapas bar crawl today, light eating and early bed 

Check out the pictures and videos on the Facebook post, several parades they the city today and a big one planned for tomorrow morning.

📊 Camino Intermission – Sat Sept 27, 2025

Day: 24

Stage walked: ❌ Zero Camino mileage (rest day in León)

But: ~12 km roaming the city (cathedral, tapas alleys, parades, etc.)

Cumulative Camino walked (since SJPdP): ~446 km

Remaining to Santiago (~770 km): ~324 km

% complete: ~58%

Avg so far (counting 24 days): ~18.6 km/day

Adjusted avg (counting 23 walking days): ~19.4 km/day

Needed avg to finish by Oct 12: ~19.4 km/day ✅

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🎭 Intermission Continues

León Cathedral glow 🌈

Tapas + Barrio Húmedo crawl 🍷

Arroz con leche, Basque cheesecake, churros con chocolate ✅

Parades, pendones, drums & bagpipes 🥁

A proper recharge before the mountains.

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🚩 Curtain lifts again:

Tomorrow, Sun Sept 28 → walking resumes. Bus skip to Virgen del Camino, then west toward Astorga.

LEON!

There's a lot to go over so let's get started.

Lynne, Hwa, and I started the day of with breakfast at our hostel. After that we walked like only people that have been on the trail of over 3 weeks can walk... FAST!  For reference, people usually walk rate around 4 km an hour. We held a much higher Pace holding five and a half km an hour steady for the full 13 km to the next town. 

But during that walk, we came across and 80-year-old Italian gentleman who I would have sworn wasn't today 60!  In very broken languages we were able to discover that he was on his 30th Camino!

I FIGURED IT OUT, THE CAMINO IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!!!

Later, we had quick and enjoyable breakfast and the three of us were back on the trail for the remaining 6 km to the next town which signified at the end of our mutual walking day.  On the way or of town we passed by a Camino institution - unfortunately not open yet for the day, Bar Elvis.  A place that openly supports graffiti both inside and out with a most unique proprietor.

Hwa is staying the night in Mancella de las Mulas, Lynne and I - following the advice of not only many guidebooks but pretty much everybody else, took transportation into Leon bypassing tomorrow's long slog into the city.

!!! CAMINO INTERMISSION !!!

https://youtu.be/s7vp9dnl0vg?si=iDPfcGkKPAaXhDA-

Leon is worth way more time than I'm going to give it, but I am taking one zero day tomorrow and maximizing every minute I have today. We were blessed with an Albergue literally just off the main cathedral square. A wonderfully modern Albergue with pod style beds in small security controlled rooms with climate control.  Linen sheets, comforter, TOWELS...  Seriously, this Albergue is going to spoil us now.

Charlton and I went on a short tapas bar crawl 

Seriously fun and good eats.  For those who don't know, you order a drink - You get a tapa!  You get up and scoot over to the next bar, rinse and repeat.

Later, for evening nibbles, Lynne joined us as we sought out the more rewarding tapas (not interested in bar mix, more Spanish tortillas, or a thin slice of sausage on a slab of bread - Bring on the good stuff.  For our final food item, the chocolate explosion.

During the late afternooni went into the Leon Cathedral and once again was welcomed by a Cathedral that was NOT there to worship the bishops and Cardinals like the Burgos cathedral.

The Leon Cathedral is beautiful, very airy and open.  It has not been expanded upon unnecessary time after time, it remains as built in a more pure state - actually, later modifications have been undone to restore the cathedral closer to it's original state. 

BURGOS : While architecturally beautiful is bit a house of worship, it is a museum and temple to the men who ruled the area. 

LEON : IS a house of worship and still active.

📊 Camino Intermission – Fri Sept 26, 2025

Day: 23

Stage walked: El Burgo Ranero → Mansilla de las Mulas (~19 km)

Then: Bus into León (not counted in walking total)

Cumulative walked: ~446 km

Remaining to Santiago (~770 km): ~324 km

% complete: ~58%

Avg so far: ~19.4 km/day

Needed avg to finish by Oct 13: ~19.4 km/day ✅

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🎭 Intermission Time

Tomorrow, Sat Sept 27th = rest day in León.

No kilometers. No pack. Just:

León Cathedral stained glass glow 🌈

Tapas in Barrio Húmedo & Romántico 🍷

Sweet treats (churros, ice cream) 🍫

Recharge body + mind before the mountains.

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🚩 The Play So Far

Act I: Body → aches, blisters, hills, broken in.

Act II: Mind → Meseta grind, halfway milestone, León reset.

Act III: Soul (coming soon) → Cruz de Ferro, Galicia’s green hills, Santiago.