Our Walk Along the Camino Frances

Dinosaurs, Labyrinths and Cathedrals  Long Night on the Way of St. James This morning was merely a continuation of last night's discontent and yesterday afternoon's chaos. From our arrival back at the albergue at 10 PM until we decided to leave at 3:30 AM, there was a constant state of packing, unpacking, hugging, giggling, opening candies, going to the washroom, moving bunk beds to get in and out of the room, and non-stop conversations. When we decided we'd finally had enough, we got up, picked up our sleeping bags and backpacks, and left the room to change and re-pack in the common room downstairs. The tour guide, who had also spent the night in our room and was equally unrested, came out and sought to apologize to us and a few other pilgrims who were also leaving for a poor night's sleep and his group's attitude. While this was going on, members of his group got up and began checking their bags, insisting that the pilgrims leaving had stolen their things an...

Pilgrims under a Hard Sun Camino Francés Pilgrimage Today began early at 5 AM, with the rush of pilgrims preparing for a day which took us through the towns of Tosantos, Villabistia, Epinosa, Villafranca, and St. Juan. Following a breakfast of coffee, toast and jam, we headed out into what we discovered with delight was a cool and foggy day.   Cool Morning Hike Revelling in the pleasant temperature, we spent most of our morning trek trying to avoid stepping on the countless banana slugs and snails wandering the pathway. As we travelled through the flat countryside and past seemingly endless farmland, I was amazed by the array of colours at the side of the trail, consisting of the purples of wild heather, greens of the vibrant moss, and yellows of the gorse bushes.   Buen Camino Early in the morning, we enjoyed a coffee break in Espinosa. As we continued onward in the foggy weather, the pathway wove through a forested region and down logging roads. In this section, the trail w...