Tag: Santiago de Compostela

Camino Francés 2022 Days 40-46: Santiago de Compostela to Muxia

What a difference the side of a city can make! Arriving from the East showed off the bustling, industrial sector of Santiago de Compostela. Departing towards the West gave me miles and miles of beautiful rural landscapes and dense woodland trails. An even bigger difference could be felt on the Camino itself. Two days ago, entering the final destination for most peregrinos, meant hoards of people (tourists and pilgrims alike): it was very hectic. But because the Camino is a “one-way route” for 99.99% of the walkers, you very rarely see anyone walking away from Santiago. The serenity that I missed last week, in the last 100 kms after Sarria, returned ten-fold today and the clear weather made for a nearly perfect day of walking!

But first, before I share about the day, I feel compelled to share a story about “Camino magic…”

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Camino Francés 2022 Days 31-39: Villafranca del Bierzo to Santiago de Compostela

After five weeks on the trail, I feel like I’ve been walking forever. Each week brings new terrain, new views, new weather, new friends, new experiences, and new emotions. The golden meseta is behind me now and I am faced with a lot of green – in every imaginable shade. The green, of course, comes from rain, which also means wind, and muddy trails, and swollen rivers, and rainbows. Realizing that I was entering my final week before arriving to Santiago (the ultimate destination for most of my fellow pilgrims), my mind began to dance to new tunes.

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Camino Francés 2022 Days 0-3: Saint Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona

These next few posts are meant to share with you (and to document for posterity) my recent walk along the French Way of the Camino de Santiago across Northern Spain from mid-September to early November 2022. Even though I am publishing the posts a few weeks after my return home, I have decided to retain the present tense I used when first sharing these stories and photos, day-by-day, during the journey itself. I believe this will help retain the freshness of the experience – the highs and the lows – the surprises and the disappointments – the observations and the thoughts – just as they occurred.

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