Walking The Way

10/11-10-/12 – left Villafranca on Wednesday morning headed to the very small village of Ruitelán. From there, on Thursday, I made the huge ascent in the mountains to the city of ÓCebreiro, and then to the final destination of the village of Fonfría.

The walk to Ruítelan was crisp, clear, and beautiful today as I slowly headed up to the mountain regions in Spain. The Albergue I stayed at was old, but really quaint and the chef and hotelier really cared for the pilgrims on the trail. They cooked us a beautiful communal meal and really wanted to make sure each of us felt cared for. I sat with people from Sweden, Finland, and the U.S. It was an awesome experience on the Camino.

The mountain ranges and views on the climb were breathtaking on the trail. This climb is well known to be one of the steepest and last big climbs on the path before reaching Santiago. The photos don’t really do it justice. The air was crisp, clear and sunny today (70 degrees). While the journey was strenuous, it sure was nice to be conditioned and I felt good making the climb up.

Galicia is known for thatch roofs and stone buildings. Such was my place for dinner tonight. A delicious Galician meal shared with about 40 other pilgrims from around the world on their journey to Santiago. I sat with people from Germany, Brazil, and the U. S. Very special!

My thoughts: Today was beautiful in so many ways. The views, weather, people, and accomplishment made for such a great day. Feeling very humble, fortunate, and happy. While I’m looking forward to reaching Santiago and Finisterre, there is some sadness about leaving such an amazing journey it’s different out here on the trail with all the other pilgrims. Something special!