Wow!!! It’s been several days since I wrote. My apologies!! 

After Santiago de Compostela we travelled back to Oviedo. The plan was to go to San Sebastián and stay on the coast finding places to walk. None of it really worked or fit our plans.

So after two days in Oviedo we headed to Burgos, then take a bus to Logrono and walk to Viana which was a town that we enjoyed and wanted to explore more. It was fun walking back, we had a lot of smiles, shaking of heads in disbelief and a few questions about what we were doing. 

From there we decided to walk back to Torres del Rio. If you have followed our journey it was on the way to Torres del Rio that we encountered the thunderstorm and decided to take a cab to Viana. We had four other people join us. So the walk back to Torres del Rio and then forward to Viana was an opportunity to walk what we missed. 

I have experienced quite a lot of joy walking the other direction. So much so that I think our next Camino may be one that takes us from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela and back to SJPdP. 

Its all about the journey and the journey has been amazing!!!

This camino has been a series of reunions. 

First we were reunited with Tim. We met last spring and have stay connected. All of us were back on camino at the same time. 

Then we met up with Jackie. We walked with Jackie along the West Highland Way a couple of years ago. And also were able to hike together with she and her husband while they were living in the Netherlands. 

And we all got to  see Uroš. We met Uroš last spring as well. He is not currently walking the Camino but came to see us while we are in Spain. We got to spend several days catching up and hearing about his adventures on Kilimanjaro and on safari. 

We have some decisions to make as to what is next? Maybe some more of the Camino Frances or perhaps some more of the San Salvador or even some of the Norte. Time will tell. 

Each of the people we reunited with holds a special place in our hearts. They are what the Celts call Anam Cara ‘soul friend’. And the people we met along the way each camino also hold a special place in our hearts. 

May each of you who have crossed our paths no matter how, please know how important you are to us. And with each step we remember and are grateful. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and letting us share yours. Buen Camino 

This is not how you want to do a camino, by taxi but sometimes it is necessary. Taking a taxi or a bus isn’t about cheating but is often about taking care of yourself. I bring up the cheating because there are people who will tell you that you cheated. But remember it is only cheating if it’s a competition. And the camino is not a competition.

Taking a taxi today for us was about safety not only for ourselves but also for first responders. We heard about a couple of pilgrims who slipped and fell yesterday, one cracking her skull, that had to be rescued by helicopter. 

It rained all night and the wind howled all night. It was quite a storm (nothing like Helene or Milton, but still a storm.) when we woke in the morning the storm continued. We watched as pilgrims headed out to face the elements. 

The three of us have done this enough times that we knew the super steep descent along with the wet conditions was very dangerous. We all agreed that we want to keep walking in the future so today was not going to be a walking day. 

When we arrived in Molinaseca the rain stopped for a short time and then started again. We were able to take a walk around town and get some lunch.

We all missed walking today. And we were all happy with our decision. We talked to a few other pilgrims who started but then took a taxi because there was a rush of water on the path. And the only alternative is to walk along the road with no place to move from the cars. 

We made a tough but right decision. Our prayers for those who are facing storms, physical, mental, and spiritual. Buen Camino! 

What a great and exhausting day. We got up early since we had a long day. We were excited to find a place open at 6:30 am for breakfast. 

Once we headed out of Astorga the sun was just beginning to rise. And we were given a spectacular show. We were speechless. 

But not for long. As we walked we talked and shared stories. All three of us acknowledged that when walking long distances a nice conversation can make the time go faster. 

The day was beautiful and comfortable with coolish temperatures. And only started to rain a bit on the last 5 kms. We were fortunate. But also knew that the next day we wouldn’t be blessed with good weather with tropical storm Kirk hitting. We made an early decision not to walk this steep route on slippery rocks. More reflection on this tomorrow. 

Our accommodations weren’t the best. Our dinner was not so great. But good company and shared experiences can make you forget the bad. 

Buen Camino!