We stayed in the Hotel Vistalegre, a very nice 2-star with a spa (which we didn’t use) and very central to the bars / restaurants and also the path out of town. It was €15 for a bag of washing that would be delivered back that evening, so we all gratefully partook of this.

The view from my room, as I was on the ground floor, was the central patio area which meant curtains closed at all times. No need for window opening as the aircon was working perfectly. As the bar area was so small, breakfast was on a pre booked time basis – the hordes had already filled the 8am slot (and we didn’t want 7am), so 8:30 it was. This meant we also left a little later than usual. It was cool again, and pretty misty, as we left and headed back down the staircase to the town entrance with some nice views of the river as we did so.

A look back at the staircase that arched over the road and then we were crossing the bridge on a different arm of the river. We all had a quick scan of the water for Mike’s hat (and I’m sure Mike had a few silent words of remembrance) – not seeing any traces of said hat we moved on. The first bit was a nice path with plenty of greenery either side and fairly flat as we eased our legs into the walk.

Then it was upwards for the next 12km or so – nothing too steep but enough for an early morning cardio workout, the flat parts between the climbs were always welcome. We thought by leaving later we would have longer before we caught up with the crowds. This was not the case as we soon started having to navigate the crowds. At this stage our “strategic walking” experience came into play as we judiciously used the roads (parallel to the paths) to overtake the gangs of school kids without losing our momentum.

At the top of our climb the mist was well and truly settled on us, at times visibility was less than 100m, and the mist actually felt wet. To start our descent we walked through the long and narrow village of Ligonde.

We discovered that the descent wasn’t really as it said on the tin – more like a series of dips and hills, as we stopped for a quick drink and a stamp with about 9km to go. We saw two really young lambs with their mother and then encountered a traffic jam of people – a very narrow and rocky path heading down to the road below. One more stop, this time for an ice cream, and then, as the mist began to lift, we finished the walk to our destination.

We stayed in the very nice Hotel Roma, a 3-star hotel at the very top of town and right next to the train station. It’s not a busy train line so it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Helena has joined us for the final 5 days walk into Santiago de Compostela.

My room overlooked the Main Street and the train station, was nicely air conditioned and very comfortable. At breakfast (quite poor for such a nice hotel) there was a group of about 20 teenagers on their annual school trip, from California, to walk the last stages of the Camino. It was cool and very overcast as we started out, quite a change from the 30C+ temperatures of the previous evening. We started through the back streets of town and walked alongside the railway line for a few moments as we headed to rejoin the Camino trail.

Once back on the trail we walked through a wooded area, crossed the railway line and started up on the first climb of the day. Because this is the last 110km of the Camino Frances, and a minimum of 100 km is needed for the Compostela (completion certificate), we expected (and saw) a lot more pilgrims on the route. The low cloud and cool temperatures persisted for most of the day which made for ideal walking conditions, even if it did limit the scenery views for Helena.

We continued climbing, not sharply but interspersed with downhills, on a mixture of road and forest tracks. I think in the first hour, or so, we passed more walkers than we normally would in a full days walking.

We continued in the mist, alongside stone walls and an Iglesia de Santa Maria (quite a few with that name) before getting to the iconic 100km marker. Time for a stamp in our credential and a group photo before carrying on.

We were now at the highest point of today so started the slower descent (for now) down towards Portomárin. We passed quite a few cherry trees full of ripe cherries and plenty of pilgrims were stopping to try and grab a free snack. We walked through a small village, Marcadoiro, and continued on our way. At this stage the mist was slowly lifting allowing a bit more of a view.

At this stage we got our first glimpse of Portomárin, in the distance and below us, sitting on the edge of the River Minho. In the 1960s the river was dammed to create the Belesar reservior, putting the old village of Portomarín under water. The most historic buildings of the town were moved brick by brick and reconstructed in the new town, including its castle-style main church. After a sharp, but short, descent over what felt like irregular stairs, we reached the edge of the river and crossed the bridge to the town. Unfortunately, on the bridge a passing lorry swept Mike’s jaunty hat from his head and sent if to a watery grave in the river below. A quick jaunt up 46 steps and we were able to sit down for a spot of lunch. At this stage, with perfect timing, the clouds cleared and the sun shone down on us.

We stayed at the Pension Complexo Xcobeo, an indeterminate star hotel complex comprising a hotel, Albergue and restaurant.The hotel part is a separate building that seems to have been added after the Albergue was established. Mike’s straw hat is showing serious signs of wear, here’s hoping it lasts all the way to Santiago.

The view from my room was the common clothes drying area (for the Albergue and the hotel). The bed was minuscule (and sort of comfy) and the ground floor location, and the wooden slide blinds, meant I couldn’t leave the window open to counter the lack of air conditioning. In spite of that my sleep was ok and breakfast was a little better than expected. It was already pretty warm as we left Triacastela and started up the inevitable hill towards San Xil.

The scenery was beautiful at this stage, green valleys, wooded hillsides and small rivers as we headed steadily upwards. We passed the Fuente de Os Lameiros, essentially a fountain and a resting spot, which was quite run down and not worth stopping at.

The walk so far this morning was pretty isolated, most folks having taken the longer, flatter section south via Samos. We finished climbing the hill (always got to get the body going after breakfast) and took a brief descent down to where an old church had been converted into a house (in the middle of nowhere!).

Another hill climbed and we saw a group of birch trees surrounded by concentric circles of stones, this is usually done for water management to trap moisture, slow runoff, reduce evaporation, and protect the root zone of young trees. We then started the long descent towards Sarria, passing a farm that had its own chapel, getting a glimpse of the of the town through the trees.

After a bit of a steep descent, just in case our knees had fully recovered from yesterday, the trail flattened out somewhat and we passed a few freshly ploughed fields. Interesting to see how, over the last month, we have passed fields from being ready to plough through to fully of healthy crops. We hadn’t seen a stork for a while so it was nice to see one on top of a pole feeding its two chicks. Finally we crossed the Rio Sarria and took the long walk through the town to our accommodation.

A quick bit of maths and we agreed that we had now walked over 5,000km on our annual walks. If we include all the Thames Path, and other challenges and training walks, the total surely comes to over 6,000km. That’s the equivalent of walking from the west cast of Australia to the east coast and then halfway back again!

We stayed in the Casa O Cebreiro, a no-star hotel comprising a bar, restaurant, souvenir shop and rooms. The rooms were in a separate building that used to be a jail – my room was certainly cell-size!

The view from my room was over the edge of the main square and gave me the opportunity to listen to all the drunken chatter from the bars and the piped music from the shops. The bed was comfortable and the stone walls kept it reasonably cool as well. One last look over the wall at the mountains we had left behind, a look over the thatched shop and we set out on our way.

We started out with fabulous views northwards as we took the “complementary” route that took us up and over a reasonable hill via a nice wooded track. The “normal” route was about the same length but on the road around the hill.

More wandering along on the wooded paths, and some sections of road, and we summited the Alto de San Roque (1270m). As it wasn’t too crowded we took a selfie in front of the Pilgrim’s Monument and enjoyed the view for a couple of moments. The last time we were here, 3 years ago, the summit sign was covered in stickers and barely legible – it has obviously been cleaned up. I have noticed this about the way markers as well, all the graffiti that previously marred them has been removed.

We walked along the road for a while, passing through a couple of small villages and their distinctively shaped churches. It was still only mid morning and the sun was warming up nicely. One last hill that was steep enough to require switchbacks and then we started our descent.

This was a tough descent – approximately 600m of descent in under 5km of distance. The path wasn’t as bad as the downhill into Molinaseca, but it was relentless.Thankfully a large part of it was on the woodland paths and therefore shaded from the sun. We passed through several farms, all actively working, got held up waiting for a herd of cows to go past to another pasture, and eventually made it to the bottom of the hill.

Tomorrow Helena joins us for the rest of the walk.

We stayed at the Posada Real Paraiso del Bierzo, a 4 star hotel that was previously a butter factory but has been converted very tastefully and has a good (by pilgrim standards) restaurant and bar on site.

There was no view from my room as the roof window was small and too high to get to, but the view from the patio was lovely (we spotted a Beech Martin hunting in the field last night). The room was well air conditioned with a very comfortable (and large) bed. As we left, we took one last look at the hotel in its surrounds and had a glimpse of a little hamlet called San Julien nestling in the hills.

Today would be a very short walk of 8km, but we would climb over 600m during that time. Thankfully the path was very reasonable and although steep, not too steep. We began the ascent through woodland and shade, the sun was out full bore so the shade was very appreciated when available.

As we emerged from the wooded area, the views opened up around us and gave reason to stop and catch our breath frequently. We were stalled for a few minutes as a little family of cows was herded down the hill. I moved to the side to let them pass but the “mum” just plodded straight to where I was standing and didn’t look like changing her trajectory so I did the sensible thing and moved aside.

Not much else to report as it was such a short walk, so here is a view back eastwards. Crazy to think we come over 630 km from that direction already.

As we topped the hill and rounded a bed we crossed into Galicia, which feels like a “Celtic influenced” region of Spain. One evidence of this was the bagpipe player at the entrance to O Cebreiro. Interestingly, although Galego and Spanish are Romance languages (derived from Latin), Galego is more closely related to Portuguese and has 7 vowels rather than the usual 5 found in Spanish. A quick look at the Church of Santa María of O Cebreiro and its serene interior and we were done for the day.

We stayed in the Hostal La Puerta del Perdon, a 1-star located at the start (and the top) of town. The aircon (in my room) didn’t work and the sash windows would not stay open (needed to fold a blanket in the gap to keep the window open). Breakfast was somewhat meagre – orange juice, toast, coffee and a piece of cake!

My room looked up to the Marqueses de Villafranca Castle and had a comfortable bed. I was afraid that the lack of aircon would make for an uncomfortable night, but the temperature dropped sufficiently overnight – so no problems. Being at the top of the town we had a nice walk (downhill) through the narrow streets and then a good look back as we crossed the Rio Burbia.

Given the heat, and that we took the high route last time, we opted for a much flatter day by walking along the valley and the Rio Valcarce. Although we walked mostly beside the road, there was plenty of shade (until the sun peeked over the hills), traffic was very light and the tree lined sides of the valley were lovely to look at. We could also hear the running of the river and birdsong for nearly the whole walk. At just about halfway we walked through the narrow (and long) town of Trabadelo.

A quick look back to the town, via the Rio Valcarce, and we headed back on the path. We stopped for a pizza along the way and it was worth stopping for. The patio was patrolled by Oreo, who was very well behaved and definitely likes pizza – probably gets fed scraps 100’s of times a day by all the pilgrims that stop there. Lots of glimpses of the river running beside, and below, us as the sun and humidity rose steadily. The last town we walked through before our hotel was Vega de Valcarce.

The final piece of the walk saw us walking into an area of meadows, rather than forested hillsides. A herd of cows were behaving sensibly and heading for shade under the trees as we reached our stop for the night.

We stayed at the Hotel No-Mad, a 4 star hotel just over the river on the edge of town. When we arrived there were a couple of “first communion” parties going on so the hotel, and garden, was very busy.

The view from my, very comfortable room, was over the hotel garden – empty this morning after yesterday’s parties. Thankfully the music, and singing, was over by 9pm. We left earlier today as we had 30+K to walk and wanted to avoid the mid afternoon sun and, as we passed the town photo opportunity the sun was just getting above the mountains we climbed yesterday.

The first part of our walk today was the road into Ponferrada – the skies were menacing for a while and we got a few sprinkles of rain a couple of times, and a rainbow, before the skies cleared over the nearby mountains. We crossed the Rio Boeza for the first time before entering the city.

We walked past Ponferrada Castle before crossing the River Sil and heading ever westwards. The Castillo de los Templarios is a large Templar Castle. In 1178, Ferdinand II of León donated the city to the Templar order for protecting the pilgrims on the Way of St James who passed through the El Bierzo region. The castle hosted the Knights Templar’s Grand Master of Castille. However, the Templars were only able to enjoy the use of their fortress for about twenty years before the order was disbanded and its properties confiscated in 1311.

We then walked a considerable distance, in a straight line, through the city and its suburbs. It wasn’t difficult walking but then it wasn’t particularly interesting either – just occasional views of the mountains to keep us going. The sun was sporadic but this only seemed to drive up the humidity so, at about half way, we stopped for a drink and a chat to some other pilgrims.

Via another interesting iron sculpture we then ventured back out into the countryside and through vineyards. Some were well tended and some seemed not so loved – as they were close together it may just be a wilding experiment rather than neglect.

We walked through Cacabelos, the last town before our destination, crossed the River Cua and passed an Albergue masquerading as a church. Then it was a couple of long uphill stretches, on or beside the road, before turning off onto a dirt / dusty path for the final stint.

More uphill walking, in the sweltering heat, before a relatively sedate downhill into the town of Villafranca del Bierzo and our accommodation for the night. We will try and find a bar with DAZN for the last round of premier league games today as we all have a keen interest in the outcomes.

We stayed in the Hosteria el Refugio, a 1-star situated at the top of the town and on the main path. The restaurant had a bar but when we asked for a beer we were told “this is not a bar – restaurant only”.

My room had 2 windows – a tiny one with a view over the laundry courtyard and a velux in the roof. This was operated by electric motors and decided to close itself during the night. Anyway, by opening it fully and standing on the bed I was able to get a nice shot of this morning’s sunrise. The room was small and spartan but the bed was comfortable.

We had quite a fresh breeze blowing as we set off, and this felt like it dropped the temperature a few degrees. It was going to be another hot day, so because there was a lot of ascent and descent, we set off earlier than usual. The first part of today was on open paths with greats views to look at.

After a while the path became more of a woodland path and, as we ascended became more like a mountain path. As we climbed we passed a disused watering trough. The path itself was bordered by a riot of colour – yellow Crocanthemum (aka frostweed), white mouse-ear chickweed, purple milkwort, white Spanish broom, white Erica (heather) and the ubiquitous lavender coloured heather. Then we walked by a small pond where the noise was unbelievable – sounded like hundreds of frogs croaking all at once.

A bit more climbing and we reached the Cruz de Ferro (c1500m), the highest point of the whole Camino. Pilgrims often carry a stone from their home or the beginning of their journey to leave at the Cruz de Ferro. This act is meant to symbolise the shedding of emotional or spiritual weight. After a brief photo stop we then prepared for the long descent.

We started the descent by taking the (flat surface) road as it ran next to the (rough stoney surface) path. A herd of cows were wandering through the woods and (hopefully) enjoying all the pilgrims waving to them and taking photos. The views at this stage were truly wonderful.

Now we had to move back on to the path which was very uneven and required quite a bit of care. It’s very hard to focus on the views when watching your feet but we did see a small village nestled into the mountain – looked like it would be an access nightmare in the winter.

We stopped in the small village of Acebo for a cold drink and a slice on Lemon cake – very refreshing, before setting off downhill again. We managed a short spell on the road before rejoining the path. This was very steep and uncomfortable to walk on for large sections.

We could see Ponferrada (on tomorrow’s route) in the distance as we stumbled downhill. Finally we made it to Molinaseca and headed straight to a riverside cafe for a beer and a sandwich. Today was tough on feet, ankles and knees – thankfully tomorrow, although longer, is a bit easier.

We stayed at the Hotel Ciudad de Astorga, a 4-star hotel that lived up to its rating and is a stones throw from the cathedral and Bishop’s palace. The food in its outdoor restaurant was excellent.

My room had a view over a central type of courtyard and a very comfortable bed. We left the city with one last look at the impressive cathedral before a short walk took us back into the open countryside. This was a slightly warmer start than yesterday with the sun already being out and a lack of any breeze.

It was a pleasant walk as we headed west alongside the road with good views of the mountains in the distance and a military camp on our right. We passed enclosed gardens with interesting gates and had a good view back to the cathedral silhouetted against the horizon.

We stopped briefly at the Ermita del Ecce Homo for a stamp in our credential and continued on towards Murias de Rechivaldo. We saw a Guardia Civil car parked up with the officers putting on their high-viz jackets and thought no more of it. A few minutes later we saw a convoy of Guardia Civil vehicles heading back towards Astorga and, as we waked through the town, via the interesting iron bishop sculpture, there were more Guardia Civil minibuses and a cafe full of officers. We will never know the full story but it was intriguing to speculate.

It was a long, straight walk along a dusty path, gently gaining in altitude, with the sun beating down on us, as we enjoyed the huge open vistas on either side of us. At about half way we walked under an iron arch sculpture and through the town of Santa Catalina de Somoza. The initial path into town was tree lined and nice and cool – unfortunately it didn’t last very long.

Onwards and upwards we walked, although to be fair it was a very gentle climb that got a slight bit harder at the very end. As ever on this walk, the scenery was wonderful to look at. One last village – El Ganco – and a herd of pretty cows (and their calves) and we finished up our journey for the day. A shorter walk than yesterday which felt hotter (certainly sweatier) but definitely not as exhausting.

We stayed at the Hotel Domus Oncinae, not sure of the star rating but, compared to previous hotels, probably a 3 star. Comfortable rooms and beds and a very nice dinner in the restaurant.

My room opened onto the courtyard so not much of a view! Our taxi picked us up and dropped us back to Villar de Mazarife to restart our walk. This was the last taxi transfer planned for this walk. The weather forecast was for no wind, clear skies and 28c by mid afternoon. We started out on a very straight road, that lasted over 6km before a bend, between fields of crops.

Between the road and the crops was an irrigation ditch, full of algae and frogs of all sizes. At times all the various croaks – loud, soft, deep, rapid, etc. came together to make a frightful din. We crossed a river and then back on the same straight road for another few kilometres. By this stage the sun was warming up nicely – we passed very few pilgrims and assumed most had started really early to avoid the heat.

At roughly the halfway point we walked into Hospital de Orbigo via the medieval bridge over the River Orbigo and over the jousting field. On the way into the town, and from the bridge, we spotted numerous white storks. These usually migrate to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter, though many now stay in Spain or move only as far as Morocco because of abundant food and milder conditions. They often do return to the same nest site year after year, but not every bird does, and some pairs change nests or mates.

What followed was a long, dusty and stoney path, with no shade, that climbed and descended with regularity. At the very top was a cross that marked the beginning of the descent into Astorga. By now it was close to 28c and we were pretty fatigued.

After checking into the hotel, and a quick nap, it was time for an ice cream and a quick tour of the cathedral. The bell tower was open, so up we went, 125 stairs each way, to get a great view of Astorga and also of the Bishops Palace (designed by Gaudi). Today was a tough day – distance and heat – but due to the judicious use of sun cream, wide brimmed hats and sufficient hydration we all arrived unburnt and in good shape.