It was good to be walking again. I set off at 7.20am with my headtorch on due to the cloud cover blocking out the moonlight. The route today was country paths, a refreshing change from the roads.

It’s amazing how rejuvenated you feel after a rest day. I was racing past the peregrinos. I entered a wooded section and in the torchlight I could see two green eyes looking at me and weird bagpipe music piercing the darkness.

It was a dog sitting in the middle of the path, next to him was donativo stall. I picked up a banana and a stamp. After about 2 miles I stopped for breakfast. At this point it began to rain on and off.

The scenery reminded me of Cumbria, dry stone walls, fields of cattle and the rain. I passed through little hamlets and farmyards. About 15km in I stopped for a drink. George from Cyprus popped his head in the cafe looking for a bite to eat. I had met him in Fonfria.

I walked with him to Vilacha where we stopped for lunch. We passed the 100k mark however due a diversion I couldn’t get a picture with the iconic milestone.

After lunch George moved on so I tried Casa Banderas, the albergue Richard recommended the day before. I rang the bell and Dominique, the proprietor answered. I said “Richard sent me and that you may have room?”

There was! I booked in. It is a lovely, homely albergue with flags decorating the yard (Casa Banderas means house of flags). Dominique and her husband Ray own the albergue. They couldn’t be better hosts, welcoming, very friendly and making me feel right at home. Shortly after Arnica arrived; she too was impressed!

This is definitely a must stop! Later a familiar face arrived, Dominick from Germany and s few new faces booked in. At 7pm we all had a meal with proprietors. A true Camino family experience.

There was cloud cover as we left into the darkness at 7.30am. I had to use the headtorches as the path had loose stones causing a trip hazard.

We were still high up and as we rounded a corner, dawn was breaking giving a wonderful view of the mountains range and valleys. Mist hovered over some of them. I had to pause to admire the view.

The path gradually descended into Triacastela. My phone pinged and it was Brian. He was grounded in Samos as his laundry was stuck in a broken washing machine. Being a Saturday there was no one on hand to sort it.

We were 9km out of Samos so we picked up the pace to catch up and have lunch with him. The route briefly ffollowed the main road winding through the valley before turning on to a country footpath, through woods and farmland.

It passed through hamlets with buildings that looked like they were barely standing. The waymarkers are now more frequent, counting down the distance to Santiago. They are acting as a reminder that I am on the late stages of the Camino.

We caught sight of Samos nestled in a valley and made our way down. We could hear a brass band playing, surely Brian hadn’t put on a fanfare for us!?

As we crossed the bridge into Samos, Brian shouts “Stuart” with his arms in the air. I reciprocated. It was good to see him. We sat at a cafe with a drink, as the marching band came down the street.

Not sure what it was in aid of, I just put it down to it being in Spain. Dirk had a look at the washing machine, he inserted some more coins and unlocked!

Now the clothes were now liberated the three of us had a meal at a restaurant. We caught up on our Camino adventures before heading on to Sarria.

The route was very much the same and just as we entered Sarria it began to rain. We found an albergue for the night. After a shower we headed to a pizzaria.

Sunday I’m planning on a rest day, I’m not ready to race into Santiago, plus my left leg was a little sore yesterday, I think a day off is due.

The weather forecast was rain and it was correct. Soon after starting the day the ponchos were out.

The way followed a road that was once the main route through the valleys, before they built flyovers that criss-crossed overhead, spoiling what would be a very scenic section.

We stopped at a panderia at Vega de Valcarce where I had a slice of banana cake. From here the scenery improved as we began the ascent of O Cebreiro. The second most difficult incline next to the Pyrenees.

This section in the guide starts at Vega and is only 12km long to the top, however we started in Trabadelo and ended in Fonfria, 31km! Hardcore pilgrims now!

The ascent was tough until La Faba passing through woodlands heavily covered with lichen. From La Faba to La Laguna it was a lot easier, presenting views of the valley below.

As I entered La Laguna, I heard a voice shout “I recognise that hat!” It was Marcus! Our paths met up, as is a common feature with the Camino.

We walked into O Cebreiro through the clouds passing into the final region of Galicia. We had lunch together, getting one of the best stamps on the journey so far.

I would have liked to stop here but I had tried booking a bed the day before and it was all full. By this time, the sun had chased the clouds away giving a pleasant trip into Fonfria.

We hit then road about 7.30 with route taking us through parks and suburban roads; it was like a rabbit warren, I totally lost my sense of direction, but I had full faith in the yellow arrows that are present on curbs, lampposts, walls and road signs.

They led us out following a quiet road through small but uninteresting villages before it followed a highway. We called into a wine museum as the Bierzo area is another wine region. There were plenty of vineyards and I couldn’t help myself, I had to try a grape. It was so sweet, nothing like you get back home.

We briefly left the main road, thankfully as there were some hairy moments. The way passed more vineyards where the harvest was under way. We eventually ended up in Villafranca del Bierzo, the stopping point for Arnica; me and Dirk still had another 8km to go.

The route out of Villafranca followed the roadside through a valley, again not providing much to look at. We arrived at our albergue just after 5. Time for a pint.

There was Camino Magic afoot last night, the municipal albergue had a wood burning stove that kept the cold away and there were no snorers!

The route was up hill to Foncebadon. This was once an abandoned village inhabited by wild dogs that hounded pilgrims, however as the popularity of the Camino grew, the town has reopened. There are no dogs but there were kittens.

The scenery is now green and hills all around, you can tell we have moved away from the meseta. We had breakfast at Foncebadon before continuing on to another iconic milestone, the Cruz de Fero.

I could finally offload the stone I had been carrying from my home. It is tradition to carry a stone and leave it at the foot of the cross, as a representation of the burdens we carry; by leaving it here, you leave them all behind and begin anew.

A little further down the route is the hamlet of Manjarin, only two shacks stand. A man rang a bell as we approached which perked our interests. He had a donation stall and a stamp!

From here you descend into El Acebo, with views of the vast lush flats where Ponferrada sits. The villages on the way to the city were picturesque, a stark difference from the last week and a half.

We stopped in Molinasesca for lunch, dipping our feet in a run off from the river. On the other side of the bank Arnica was doing the same. She then joined us for the last 7km into ponferrada and coincidentally had booked the same albergue.

The route followed the main road mostly before turning off on to a small suburban road leading into Ponferrada. At this point the weather around us turned and we were again storm racing. We got caught in a brief hailstorm with thunder and lightning cracking on the hills.

We made it safely to the albergue and had an explore of the city. There is a Templar castle in the centre and entry was free! After getting the stamp (another good one) and a walk round, it was time for some food and bed.

Today was a sort day after having a lie in. 8.30am I was up, the latest in the whole journey so far! We set off calling in for breakfast at Santa Catalina de Somoza.

This is when I heard the rumours everything is full from this point on. I wanted to stay at Foncebadon on account of the tales of wild dogs hounding pilgrims.

After phoning ahead all the albergues were ‘complete’ (full). We decided to head to Rabanal and find a bed there, if unsuccessful then we would ring ahead to the next few villages.

There wasn’t much to see following the road, however the mountains were getting closer with each step; it was a gentle incline, tomorrow the true ascent begins.

With luck there was room at the municipal albergue. From now on, I think we will have to book ahead. While eating my dinner of vegetable spaghetti, the Camino grapevine was full of chatter that on Friday 1st of October, they will be swinging the botofumerio and the cathedral in Santiago!

At this rate I am due to arrive on the 3rd, so I will need to shave 2 days to meet this deadline. This will take a bit of logistical planning but achievable. Wish me luck!

The Night Walk.

It had been discussed numerous times over the last week, whether to under take a night walk. It had been something I read about and thought it would be good experience. You get to see the Camino differently underneath the stars.

At 3am me and Dirk set off into the dead of night. After trying not wake the whole town with the worlds most noisiest door to the albergue, we began our night walk.

The world was silent as we left the lights of the village behind us. The route was on a long straight country road only illuminated by the the moonlight.

We passed a waymarker saying there was 300km to Santiago, however we passed more of these throughout the day with varying values that didn’t always go down!

The immediate surroundings were corn fields, and every horror film came to mind, making it a little eerie in the moonlight. We left the road on to a cobbled track passing through more corn fields before coming to a village.

We creeped through the slumbering village to follow a railway line, until we met the road leading back to the main Camino. This was at Hospital de Orbigo.

Here there is a large bridge that features in the literature about the Camino. Seeing it lit up in the night made it more impressive.

It was still too early for cafés to be open for breakfast, so we pressed on until we finally arrived at café at 8am. Sitting outside having a croissant, Arnica stopped by. The three of us walked together into Astorga.

We stopped at a donativo stall ‘Casa de los Dioses’ that also had beds and hammocks. The stamp is a good one; worth getting. A little bit further on is a tower with a ladder leading to the top. This was begging to be climbed!

We then descended into Astorga having a few laughs on the way, slaloming down the hill. We arrived in Astorga to have lunch before moving on to the next village where we planned to stay.

Disappointingly the cathedral was closed for a siesta, so I didn’t get to go in or a stamp. There are still plenty of stamps and churches to see, so not the end of the world.

It was another frigid 5 degree morning and I think I may have a cold coming on, as I’ve had a sore throat for the last two. Probably because I hadn’t packed for such temperatures.

It was a late start as I hung around Leon waiting for the pharmacy to open. Due to it being a Sunday, they open at 9.30am. I also had the problem of finding a down type jacket. I had been in the outdoor shops yesterday but hadn’t seen any. There is a Sunday open air market by the river, so I decided to try my luck there.

As I had time to kill I explored the city while no one was about. I managed to take better photos of the cathedral and the ‘Leon’ sculpture that was crowded constantly the previous day.

At 9.30 I got some lozenges and a packet of paracetamol. For a bargain of €30 I picked up a down type jacket from the market, just in time for the sun to appear!!

After following the river it arrived at the Camino. A good enough point to continue the way. Soon the city was left behind below as I climbed past some more Hobbit houses.

The route goes through an industrial area where I met a nice chap with a donativo store. You can pick up fruit, drinks, even walking sticks; you just leave a donation.

He also has maps that he asks peregrinos to mark their home towns on; there is a map for each month. I picked up a banana and a can of pop.

Today’s target was Villadangos del Paramo, however as we left the suburbs of Leon we had a choice of the route following the main road or the scenic route. We opted for the scenic route not realising it bypasses Villadangos and rejoins halfway through the next stage!

We’ve ended going off piste grabbing the last two beds in Villar de Mazarife! I did think I swapped one road for another as the first few kilometres was on a road, but it soon followed a gravel path through shrub land to our impromptu stop.

I felt like I had a little lie in getting up at 6.30am. Once packed, we had to find a place for breakfast, stepping out of the hotel immediately blew away any sleep left in us; it was cold this morning, 5 degrees Celsius!

We set off through the town and over the bridge following the main road into Leon; the route followed this all the way. There are some short detours to see churches in surrounding villages, but they would not be open at this time of day.

The scenery wasn’t all that much again, especially once we hit the outskirts of the city. It progressively got more industrial and urban. After a small climb, Leon came into view with cathedral visible in the sunshine.

The Camino eventually passes through the old city walls leading to the cathedral. I thought the Burgos cathedral was impressive, but Leon’s is something else.

Cavernous high ceilings illuminated by stained glass windows. The stonework and the artwork is more modest in comparison, but I liked it more.

I had an explore of the city and I kept meeting familiar faces from the last 3 weeks. I stopped to chat with my fellow pilgrims, catching up on their experiences; I grabbed some tapas with Matt, Sophie and Dave. I very pleasant evening in good company.