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.

We stayed in the Hotel La Posada Regia, an old 3-star hotel with creaky floorboards and stairs and a breakfast that was best not mentioned. Room was comfortable enough but the noise from the roadworks just outside the hotel began early and never stopped.

We started walking from our hotel in the old town and went past the Convento de San Marcos (also the Parador de León hotel) before crossing the River Bernesga and leaving the old town. It was a little chilly but with a promise that it would warm up fairly quickly and the sun would come out from the clouds.

We then spent about 1/3rd of today’s walk going through the outskirts of León, which alternated between industrial and urban, with a few hills affording a good view back to the city from the top. We passed a couple of storage (“hobbit”) houses and a much more modern church in Valverde de la Virgen as we finally left the city limits.

We passed a strange little pond before heading up onto a long path that went through large areas of scrubland. There was no shade at all as the sun started to shine down on us but, mercifully, it wasn’t too strong yet. As the halfway point of our walk we passed our hotel for the night – we would be getting a taxi back here later on.

A lot more of the dusty, stoney path as the scenery gradually turned back to farmland from the scrubland before coming to Chozas de Abajo (and its immaculately cut hedges) where we stopped for a drink before walking the last few kilometres to our destination.

As we walked, we could see some of the mountains of the Galician Massif or Macizo Galaico, which includes several ranges such as the Serra dos Ancares and Cabeza de Manzaneda. The highest peak in this massif is Pena Trevinca, reaching an elevation of 2,127 meters. Amazing to still see snow on some of the peaks in late May. After a nice poppy field and a small pond full of noisy frogs we came to Villar de Mazarife (and its storks) where we stopped for the day.

We stayed at the hotel Albergueria del Camino, a zero star but very nice, if a bit bohemian, place.

My room overlooked the courtyard area of the hotel, with a side view of the Iglesia de Santa Maria. While the bed was comfortable, the noise from the people in the courtyard meant keeping the balcony doors shut until they had all left.

As we left town and crossed the River Elsa via a 12th century bridge, that spanned parklands as well as river, the sun was out and the lack of wind made it a pleasant temperature. Continuing the last few days theme of walking beside the road, we passed poppy laden hedgerows and arable fields with the last remaining vestiges of the old irrigation systems still visible.

We continued our walk along dusty gravel paths, through some wooded areas lined with “tree snow” and past farmlands, before crossing the Rio Parma and passing through into Puente Villarente.

A quick stop at a fruit shop for some cherries (just in season), incredible that just over 1kg of cherries cost €6, a fraction of what they would cost at home. On the way out of town we spotted a Buzzard soaring overhead and a Stork (with baby) nesting on an electricity pylon.

As we edged closer to León the scenery changed as we walked through a (boring) commercial / industrial area before passing a lovely donkey, getting a great view of the Picos de Europa and our first views of León itself (and the cathedral – see if you can spot it in the last photo!)

We then walked into the old town part of León by seeing more storks nesting, crossing the Rio Torio, passing the ancient city walls and marvelling at the Gaudi designed Casa Botines.

To celebrate arriving in León and a rest day ahead, we enjoyed a celebratory ice-cream in front of the cathedral.

We were still in the Hostal Domus Viatoris, where the taxi dropped us back yesterday from El Burgo Ranero.

Following yesterday’s lovely day, it was nice to see a lovely sunrise and a morning temperature in double digits (just) for once. After breakfast our taxi picked up and took us back to El Burgo Ranero to resume our walk.

Today’s walk was more of the same as yesterday (and the day before…) as we walked along the road, sometimes lined with poplar trees, flanked by fields that were either planted or awaiting planting. No wind and the sun warming us through a lightly clouded sky meant for a very pleasant start to the walk.

The agricultural ethos of the area was neatly summed up by the vast watering machines – called linear move irrigation systems – that we could see on either side of the road. After a while we had a quick change of scenery – a small wooded area filled with birdsong by all the usual suspects and a new one for us, a Common Linnet. As we walked on the sounds were dominated for a while by cicadas chirping (or whatever they do). Interestingly, in Spain they are often called cigarras, reserving cicadas for naming a type of plant.

About 3/4 of the walk completed and we came to the town of Religos and took the opportunity for a coffee and a chocolate donut.

Nearing our destination now, we walked up and over the motorway, observing our first herd of cows for this walk. We continued past an area of stagnant water that stank, but the frogs seemed to like it judging by all the croaking. We walked in through a brief semi-industrialised area and through the old town gateway to finish our journey for the day.

We stayed in the Hostal Domus Viatoris, a comfortable and basic 2-star hotel on the outskirts of town.

The view from my room was nothing to write home about. Before settling down yesterday we walked up to the Santuario de la Virgen Peregrina to receive our certificate for getting to the half way point of the Camino. There was a bus load of Taiwanese tourists arriving for their certificate, so we had to hustle up the path to get there in front of them and avoid a long queue.

It was about 1c when we left this morning, but the sun was shining and the skies were blue, which took the edge off the temperature. Immediately outside the hotel was the Plaza de Torros and then we walked past an abandoned disco with its natty circular motifs and the Arco de San Benito before coming to the Puente Canto.

Out of town now, we crossed the River Cea and began a long walk beside the road, on a path lined with poplar trees. There was not much in the way of diversity to look at – blue skies, the occasional town on the other side of the road and some wetland areas to our left.

We passed an abandoned church, now being used as a pilgrim picnic area before walking through the town of Bercianos del Real Camino. Apart from the town seeming to be deserted, it was interesting to see (and touch) the old adobe (clay and straw) walls as we passed through. The fields, and crop plantings, seem to be quite behind, time wise, those we have spent the last couple of weeks walking past.

There were a few consolidated bunches of poppies which gave some colour to the surroundings. We then passed a wetland area where the main sounds to be heard were frogs croaking and Great Reed Warblers singing. Finally as we walked under both the main road and railway line there was a huge bunch of Spanish Broom chaperoning us into El Burgo Ranero where we spent a delightful couple of hours, sitting in the sun, chatting to fellow peregrinos, before getting our taxi back to Sahagũn.

We stayed at the Hostal Restaurante Camino Real, a 1-star masquerading as a no-star. It’s a long time since I’ve slept on what was basically a put-you-up-bed with a saggy mattress and to say the bathroom was bijoux would be overstating its size. When we stayed here 3 years ago the manager firstly claimed he had no details of our reservation, eventually giving us rooms. Thankfully no such shenanigans this time.

The view from my room oversaw a bit of a rubbish area and some kind of heating duct – but the moring sunrise more than made up for it.

As we left this morning, with a promise of a no rain day, it actually started spitting on us for a few minutes but we were rewarded with a rainbow to see us on our way. The wind, though, was bitterly cold and would stay that way for the whole day. We walked alongside the road for quite a bit, before crossing the Arroyo de la Cueza (a stream) and then back onto the path.

The pathway hedgerow had recently been cut back and cleared which made for an easier passage. As we entered Ledigos we took a photo opportunity (excuse the puzzled look) at the “halfway between Roncesvalles and Santiago” signpost, before passing through the village. Next up was another small village called Terradillos de los Templarios with a metal statue of a Knight Templar.

Starting to go gently downhill now we came to the town of Moratinos, famous to Peregrinos for “el castillo de Moratinos”, an ages-old hill in the town centre studded with family owned wine-storage caves. As we left town, we could see Mount Peñacorada (1834m) in the distance. This mountain hosts a wide range of native animals – deer, wild boar, wolves, foxes and the occasional bear.

We were on the last leg of the day now, passed a small vineyard and caught our first glimpse of Sahagun in the distance. The path was lined with Spartium junceum, also known as Spanish Broom, with its heady and sweet honey-vanilla scent, that is often used in perfumes and aromatherapy. Today was notable for the absence of pilgrims on trail – we don’t know where they all went!