Exploring the unlikely intersections of walking, photography and making
A message to all pilgrims approaching Santiago de Compostela: as you make your way through the modern suburbs, take time to look left, over the modern buildings to the hill beyond and the odd structure perched on its crest. It was Gail who first noticed it and pointed it out to me. And it was... Continue Reading →
These are the last two days on our trek westward across Spain. Our first day takes us along a brief 12-kilometre coastal walk to Finisterre, our destination for the day. After checking in at the austere Hotel Finisterre, we head off for an afternoon stroll to Cabo Fisterra. This was the western tip of the... Continue Reading →
Santiago de Compostela is the end-of-the path for most pilgrims. But there is more. The Camino Finisterre continues westward to its namesake destination, the seaside town of Finisterre or End-Of-The-World. And, beyond that, the camino leads slightly northwards to another world’s-end community, Muxia. When we left Winnipeg, Gail and I had provisionally planned to extend... Continue Reading →
Today is the most anticipated day of our camino journey. Our destination is the Cathedral at the heart of Santiago de Compostela. The 20 kilometres breeze by, barely noticeable. We pass alongside the runway of Lavacolla airport and climb the modest Monte del Gozo with its monumentally-scaled monument commemorating a visit by Pope John Paul... Continue Reading →
It’s a long 30 kilometres to our night’s destination, Arzúa. But the time passes quickly and our legs carry us effortlessly through the Galician landscape. No doubt the anticipation of reaching Santiago propels us onward, gravity drawing two comets to the sun. The camino route weaves in and around the N-547 highway as it, too,... Continue Reading →
Today we will walk a leisurely 22 kilometres through the heart of Galicia, a region with strong Celtic roots and its own distinct language, Galician, a cross-cultural mix of Spanish and Portuguese, the region’s southern neighbor. Winding our way through the hilly countryside, the unique qualities of Galician architecture reveal themselves. It is a largely... Continue Reading →
Yesterday we surmounted the highest point on our journey. Today it is all downhill, a leisurely 21-kilometre hike to the modest village of Triacastella. Here, it is all about the scenery. Rolling clouds lap distant hills carpeted with the rusty hues of late fall. The air is cool and moist. Damp forests close in around... Continue Reading →
Walking the Camino de Santiago: Days 23 & 24. Our journey takes us through the lush Bierzo vineyards to Villafranca del Bierzo and up to the mountaintop village of O'Cebreiro.
On Days 23 and 24 on the Camino de Santiago we climb to the highest point on the Camino before descending to Molinaseca.
Days 21 and 22 on the Camino de Santiago takes us to Astorga and to Antonio Gaudi's Episcopal Palace.