Day 21/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸
ℹ️Stats: Tuesday 23rd April
Weather: Sunny (11 to 26 degrees)
From: Granja de Moreruela
Start time: 8.15am
To: Tabara
End time: 1.30pm
Accommodation: municipal albergue - really nice energy.
Terrain: country lanes.
🥾Km: 27.2 (took detour to supermarket & albergue)
🥾Miles: 17
🦶Steps: 34,897
💰Costs: €20 accommodation & dinner - vegetable soup, rice (I added my own tuna) & yogurt. there was also an alcoholic orange shot at the end!
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10 - chatting to lovely pilgrims - Gwyneth & Phil 🏴, also caught up with Mart 🇳🇱
Fatigue: 1/10
Ease of terrain: 2/10
⭐️Highlights: leaving the road after crossing a bridge and heading off to a more remote area. It was really beautiful 😍 and the terrain was a little more challenging - but super fun!
🏔️Challenges: dreaming about pasta (gf). I’ve got an amazing carbona sauce to use!
It is very frustrating in Spain when the supermarkets are shut. Apparently today is a holiday so the shop isn’t going to open at all. I had a 1/4 bag of crisps and another pilgrim gave me an apple. That will have to do until dinner at 8pm.
There is also no wifi. How will I survive!!!
💭Thoughts: I’m now in a pilgrim bubble, which is nice but also challenging. There are lots of people walking at this time. The next section has very few beds. Eg 10 beds, 4 beds. Etc. which is going to make it a bit of a bed race.
Which I won’t be able to start till after 9am as I need food from the supermarket.
No idea what’s going to happen tomorrow with finding a bed...
Day 22/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸
ℹ️Stats: Wednesday 24th April
Weather: Sunny ☀️
From: Tabara
Start time: 8.45 - from the albergue 9.30 from the supermarket.
To: Calzadilla de Tera
End time: 4.15pm
Accommodation: municipal albergue
Terrain: country lanes and roads. Gravel, sandy
🥾Km: 32.4
🥾Miles: 20
🦶Steps: 41,668
💰Costs: €58 supermarket shop
€5 accommodation - I got the 2nd to last bed. (Small albergue - only 6 beds)
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 2/10
Ease of terrain: 2/10
⭐️Highlights: finally shopping at a supermarket which had real food and choice! Also got my gf spaghetti!
So many beautiful butterflies 🦋 which seem to walking along with me.
🏔️Challenges: my pack is a lot heavier than it needs to be. But it’s also also relative to what I was carrying in New Zealand for example so although it’s heavy, it’s still pretty light.
💭Thoughts: Psychologically I feel so much better knowing that I’ve got food to eat for at least three days. Normally on a Camino you wouldn’t need to carry as much food as I do. But I’ve been caught out too many times with shops being shut or not being able to find any gluten-free options.
Day 23/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸
ℹ️Stats: Thursday 25th April
Weather: Sunny ☀️
From: Calzadilla de Tera
Start time: 8.25am
To: Mombuey
End time: 3pm
Accommodation: municipal albergue
Terrain: grassy tracks, farm tracks, country lanes.
🥾Km: 27.5
🥾Miles: 17
🦶Steps: 35,189
💰Costs: €5 accommodation
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 6/10
Fatigue: 2/10
Ease of terrain: 1/10
⭐️Highlights: wildflowers on the ground, butterflies 🦋 in the air and snow on the mountains in the distance. ❄️🏔️
I slept super well last night - almost too well. It was hard to get moving this morning.
🏔️Challenges: a new blister! Back of my right ankle. I’ve swapped out 1 trainer! To take the pressure off my heel.
💭Thoughts: it may look like I’m always motivated. That is not the case at all. There are many days where I struggle. Whether that is mentally or physically. But one of the many lessons I’ve learned from hiking is to show up. It’s to get up. Is to get moving. Not overthink it. And to break it down.
I try not to think the whole, adventure/challenge in its entirety. I try and focus on just what I need to do today. And taking that first step. Which is starting walking in the morning. No matter how I feel.
Day 24/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸
ℹ️Stats: Friday 26th April
Weather: cloudy and cold
From: Mombuey
Start time: 8.05am
To: Puebla de Sanabria
End time: 2.45pm
Accommodation: own room!!! Whoop whoop!! 🙌
Terrain: forest tracks, small gravel, mud, road.
🥾Km: 33.1
🥾Miles: 20
🦶Steps: 42,431
💰Costs: €40 room - expensive - but nice to have my own space - and it was the only option available
€42 supermarket shop - beans, eggs, cheese, ham, gf bread, sweets, chocolate, lettuce, cream cheese, gf biscuits, gf muffins, juice.
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10
Fatigue: 4/10 - slept well but feel tired.
Ease of terrain: 4/10 - slightly harder today - a few more hills and wet/muddy sections
⭐️Highlights: own room, supermarket next door, WiFi, shower and a plan for the next 8 days.
🏔️Challenges: I’m not in flow today. It’s hard going - but for no particular reason. The kms/miles are coming very slowly. It was a relief to get to the town.
💭Thoughts: the weather is turning it’s gonna be so much colder and rain is coming.I’m really not looking forward to it. I really dislike being cold and wet. 🥶
But obviously I have no control over the weather. It is what it is. So I will put my waterproofs on and keep on walking.
Day 25/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸
ℹ️Stats: Saturday 27th April
Weather: rain, cold 🥶, & snow ❄️ - weather was so crazy today!
From: Puebla de Sanabria
Start time: 9.10am
To: Lubian
End time: 3.40pm
Accommodation: municipal albergue - bottom bunk + it has a stove!
Terrain: roads, wet tracks, multiple stream crossings, forest tracks
🥾Km: 30
🥾Miles: 18.75
🦶Steps: 38,620
💰Costs: €3 accommodation - this is the cheapest accommodation I’ve ever had on a Camino
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: although it was a tough day due to the weather. There were some beautiful forest sections. I also enjoyed seeing the massive pilgrims boots! I stopped for a hot chocolate (to warm up) and the small bar was filled with pilgrims all trying to escape the weather. There are a few familiar faces in the albergue - which is nice 😊
🏔️Challenges: rain, 🌧️ being caught in a snow storm! Thinking I was going to get hyperthermia. It was a long tough day due to the weather. I’m not a fan of being cold and wet!
💭Thoughts: I’d been thinking about doing a winter Camino in January. However, after today that is no longer on the list. I am not good in cold weather. I feel like my body starts to shut down super fast and it’s so difficult to get warm and to keep warm.
Day 26/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸 *Favourite section 🥳
ℹ️Stats: Sunday 28th April
Weather: cold 🥶 am (-1/0) warmed up and turned sunny ☀️ 9 degrees
From: Lubian
Start time: 7.50am
To: A Gudina
End time: 1.20pm
Accommodation: municipal albergue - bottom bunk. Large room - but separated out into different areas.
Terrain: large rocks, wet, muddy, farm tracks, gravel & grassy sections. Yellow route on Buen Camino app.
🥾Km: 27.4
🥾Miles: 17
🦶Steps: 35,085
💰Costs: €10 albergue
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 4/10
⭐️Highlights: walking through the mountain villages. The terrain was more wild and remote which I prefer. This has been one of my favourites sections so far.
🏔️Challenges: forgot it was Sunday and the supermarkets are shut. The kitchen only has a microwave and no utensils. So had snacky food for dinner.
💭Thoughts: 🌅I like to spend the mornings walking without music or podcasts and use this time to really think.
🤔 Sometimes it’s reflecting on what has happened in the past sometimes I focus on problems I’m trying to solve. I sometimes make plans for the future.
🧠I let my mind go where it wants to go. I find this time very therapeutic.
🎶Towards the middle of the day if I need to pick up the pace, I’ll put on some; Taylor Swift or BTS and get cracking.
Day 27/32 🥾Camino Via de la Plata, Spain 🇪🇸 another amazing day in the mountains 🏔️
ℹ️Stats: Monday 29th April
Weather: Sunny ☀️
From: A Gudina
Start time: 7.40am
To: Laza
End time: 2.40pm
Accommodation: municipal albergue - small room. 4 bunk beds, bottom bunk.
Terrain: old roads, country lanes. Constantly around 1,000 - 1,100 metres 🏔️ before descending on road to Laxa. Roads are not busy.
🥾Km: 36
🥾Miles: 22.5
🦶Steps: 46,307
💰Costs: €10 accommodation
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10
Fatigue: 3/10
Ease of terrain: 4/10
⭐️Highlights: views on views on views. 😍Taking the time to go on a swing high in the mountains ⛰️ what a day! Another favourite section 🥳
I was first to arrive at the albergue and had the place to myself for an hour. I cooked a massive risotto and had a hot chocolate 🙌😀
🏔️Challenges: none - everything went to plan 👍
💭Thoughts: I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I hope it’s a continuation of the past two days. Which have both been stunning and my favourite sections so far.
Opmerkingen