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The End

08.09.08 Monday. San Pedro Martir to The Lighthouse Finisterre. Our last day, back to the Chapel of San Pedro where the marquees were still up but deserted, the chapel still locked and only a fountain that didn’t seem worth taking shoes and socks off for. But the light as dawn was breaking was excellent and …

Last day in santiago.

03.08.08 Wednesday.Santiago de Compostela. We have been in our cosy little appartement in Santiago for 2 days now, small but comfortable as long as everyone breathes asynchronously. We have all done the cathedral, pilgrims twice, and the museum of peregrinations, there is a phenomenal amount of carved stone around the town as well as on the cathedral, …

To Arzua

29.08.2008 Friday. Palas de Rei to Arzua. Out of town at 0630 and strolling over the Galician countryside in the dark as usual a slower pace than usual gets us to Melide a pleasant looking large town with a museum in an old pilgrim hospital by 1000. Unfortunately as the museum does not open for …

To Samos

26.08.08 Tuesday. El Cebriero to Samos. Starting as usual in the dark we begin a 600m plus descent with a few ups and downs and then a steady, steep in places, descent into Triacastera, through countryside that would not be out of place in the Pennines except the views are longer and more distant. There …

To El Cebreiro

25.08.08 Monday. Villafranca to El Cebreiro. What a great day, we enter Galicia almost at the top of climb to the small settlement of El Cebreiro. There are three options for the route on this section, the obvious old Camino up the floor of a steep sided valley, following the old main road either on …

To Ponferrada

23.08.08 Saturday. El Acebo to Ponferrada. We descended from our mountain village 600m in the course of the morning. We had carefully considered our options for today as spending Saturday night in a large town again was not on our list of priorities. However the options for accommodation in a reasonable distance past Ponferrada, plus …

To El Acebo

22.08.08 Friday. Astorga to El Acebo via Foncebadon and the Iron Cross. First some more about Astorga which we left at 0600 this morning leaving Ray and Richard sleeping to catch a train later. This town is important as well as being a nice sized city with a number of good albergues, it was the …

To Astorga

21.08.08 Thursday. Villadangos dal Paramo to Astorga. Hurray! Hurray! The end of the ‘bleak plateau’. The day began as many at 0530 in the dark along a main road out of town, flat and tedious with wincing from those in the party with problems in the foot department. It was light before we reached our …

To Leon

19.08.08 Tuesday. El Burgo Raniero to Leon. After a good night rest at the municipal Albergue in El Burgo, run by volunteers German and Spanish, we are off and away at 0530. The moon is still giving good light and the route is obvious alongside the road for many kilometres. The day dawns on flat …

To El Burgo Ranero

18.08.08 Monday. Terradillos de los Templarios to El Burgo Ranero. Another day another dollar, more strolling (marching!—ray) across the plains of Castille y Leon. Ray seems to have survived his first day on the Camino, he has ended up doing the stretch that many avoid by the bus from Burgos to Leon. Today was another …

To Fromista

15.08.08 Friday. Hontanas to Fromista. We plan to meet Ray, who is coming to walk with us for a while, tomorrow in Fromista. The albergue offers breakfast from 0600 and a short day of 22km is planned. In spite of this we are off at 0630 in the dark, It’s cold! This is Spain? Yes …