3 Days to Santiago; Maybe

At the rate we're going we might be arriving in Santiago by Saturday afternoon. We did another 33 km or so from Ferrerios to Palais de Rei with just a bit over 66 km left. We weren't even planning to go that far. With wine and ibuprofen I'm surprising myself. I'm excited to be closing in on my destination. After spending time alone yesterday waiting an hour and a half in the wrong town and then running several km to catch up I was eager to stay within sight of my crew. Today was another long day but with a less incredible sunset.

Winter Wonderland Followed by Singing in the Rain

After 2 snowy days in the mountain; one 30 km day with 8 km up and then one 20 k day going down to the base. It was a fantastic day of climbing and I was smart and put my last feminine pad into my boots in order to increase the comfort on a long day with lots of road. The views were terrific until we got chased the last 2.4 k up to the top. We stayed in a municipal albergue for the night while the storm carried on picking up in intensity. The room was boiling but it meant my shoes were dry by morning; between the newspaper and the furnace by my bunk.
Yesterday we climbed all the way down and started with 14 km on the road and 6 km using the snowy trail. With plastic bags in our shoes protecting our socks we risked the trail and it was a lot of fun. None of us were 100% prepared for it and it ended up coming to our knees in some places. Arrived in a really luxurious cheap albergue last night and got the best sleep we've had in a while waking up at 7 instead of 6.
Today we're walking through some rain and fog. At a cafe having some protein. Haven't had good WiFi for 2 days or so but now you're all caught up.

Winter is Coming

The cold has set in just as we are approaching our last mountain before Santiago. In fact it snowed on that mountain last night. We have one full day of hiking left before we start the climb so we can hope for it to melt by the time we get there. I bought winter gear at a thrift shop in town yesterday. Got another good night's rest after a furnace of a room in Ponferrada the night before. Cold might be on its way out if I can keep my core warmer than was possible yesterday. We managed to arrive before the rain which was great. And last night a few Brazilians cooked up a huge pot of marvelous risotto for us. We met them while enjoying some wine just before our last 9 km leg of the trek. It may be getting cold but I am loving the comeradery on this trail.

A Lovely, Short Walk

Had a lovely time doing a 15 or 16 km day with a new friend. We hung out the whole afternoon in Ponferrada taking pictures of the cute alleys. Still fighting a cold off but it hasn't held me back too much.

Big Day

Did 34 km today! Saw another simultaneous Moonset and sunrise this morning and finally made it into the mountains again. Beautiful, warm day and the trail although up and down was easy on my feet since there was almost no roads. In fact, this time all we ever did was cross a road here and there instead of following one for a long stretch of time. Going to bed at the moment. Until next time.

Sunrise and the Astorga Cathedral

Started walking at 7:30 this morning after a restorative night's rest. Went to bed early with tea and melatonin as my sleep aid and fell asleep before 8 and woke up officially at 6:30. Despite the freezing morning, I started my trek at 7:30, 45 minutes before the sunrise. This meant I could watch the full moon set as I walked. It was a gorgeous site as was the fiery sunrise. The eastern horizon was very orange and that backdrop caused any plants between me and my view of the horizon to look black giving me wonderful photos.
Things did finally warm up today and even got hot. I reached Astorga by 12:20 and visited the marvelous cathedral for just 3 euros 50. Needless to say, I used that opportunity to fill my SD card with more pictures. Did 4 more km past Astorga meaning I did close to 20 total, if I remember correctly.

Short Day, Short Post

After 2 nights in a row of falling asleep sometime close to 3 AM and having been tired all last week, I didn't walk far today and had to accept that I'd be happier with a stupidly short day followed by rest than pushing too hard. I was about to walk another 3 to 5 km, but had just passed a beautiful looking albergue with a garden in their courtyard and felt called to stay there. Bought meletonin at the pharmacy in town. Perhaps tomorrow, I can push a lot of km out of the way.