From Frankfurt by plane to Santiago, and then straight on to Ponferrada in beautiful weather.
Stage 1: Ponferrada – Las Medulas – Orellán (33.3 km)
After a day of pure sunshine on the day of arrival, the first day of running started off with rain. On the other hand, from there, we headed back down into the valley, and I wanted to refill my water supply before the
Stage 2: Orellán – Las Medulas – O Barco de Valdeorras (36 km)
Early in the morning, I set out in nice weather, and I have to admit I misjudged things a bit
From Las Medulas, the route then went downhill to Puente de Domingo Flórez, where I took a break at noon
Almost 70 kilometers in two days—that was just too much, but we had a short stage ahead of us.
Stage 3: O Barco de Valdeorras – A Rua de Valdeorras (15 km)
Nice weather and a short leg. Perfect for catching my breath. Or so I thought, but somehow
The scenery was beautiful in places again. But I was in a pretty bad mood. The
Somehow, it just wasn't the right path for me yet, and I've been thinking about whether I should do the Camino
Stage 4: A Rua de Valdeorras – Quiroga (30.5 km)
a few days, despite the beautiful scenery. From my previous Caminos, I knew that walking with others and chatting now and then really keeps you going. Here, all I had left were the
Thoughts that stayed with me throughout the day and the miles I had to cover to reach the finish line. The thought of giving up did cross my mind quite often, but there was still a sense of pride that wouldn’t let me, and the hope that I would make it there.
From A Rua, we set off on a very, very long stretch along a country road up the mountain. The
Just when you think you've made it because you've reached the official number of kilometers,
Stage 5: Quiroga – A Pobra de Bollón (25.5 km)
On the morning of my fifth stage, the sun was shining, and suddenly my mood and
I had also originally planned to run the Invierno “quickly” and then from Santiago
On the leg to A Pobra de Bollón, there were a few hills, but thanks to our good spirits and
Everything immediately felt nicer, more relaxed, and more pleasant. Probably also because I
Stage 6: A Pobra de Bollón – Monforte de Lemos (18.5 km)
In good spirits, I set off in the morning for a fairly short leg of the journey, which was scenic
And just as the mood was starting to lift, the sun came out in the early afternoon and I
Stage 7 Monforte de Lemos – Chantada (33 km)
After a quiet night, the stage I was probably most wary of began. Long
The climb wasn't too difficult either—it was steady and not too steep. And the nice thing is, when
Later, the path got really steep as it went downhill along old Roman stone roads, and you have to
Stage 8: Chantada – Rodeiro (25.5 km)
What could possibly come next after this stage, given the profile? Well, obviously, the highest point of the
Scenically speaking, the climb wasn't all that pretty, and the highest point is paved with
Stage 9: Rodeiro – Lalin (26 km)
What do you do once you've gotten past the tough parts? Well, of course, you celebrate
For the past few days, my path had truly been “my” path, and the loneliness that was almost constantly my
And so I was able to enjoy the walk and take in the scenery. At the end of the
There was a festival in Lalin that day, and there were lots of people on the street; a band was playing, a
A quick tip for anyone stopping in Lalin or passing through: There’s an “Information Point”
Stage 10: Lalin – Silleda (15 km)
What a relaxing stage—and to top it all off, great weather, pleasant scenery, and beautiful
Stage 11_ Silleda – Lestedo (29.5 km)
Even though it sounds like a very long stage, it was actually quite pleasant to run. You
From Silleda, the route is mostly slightly downhill; you pass through forests and fields, but you also
In any case, the nearly 30 kilometers between Silleda and Lestedo also included all of that,
Stage 12: Lestedo – Santiago (14.5 km)
Dinner.
Final push to Santiago. I guess the excitement kept me awake last night, so I’m still in the
I enjoyed sitting in the square, watching the pilgrims arrive, and now and then a
The day after I arrived, I had planned to attend the church service, so I went
After spending two days in Santiago, I took the bus to Muxia and started hiking from there
After spending two days in Santiago, I took a bus to Muxía and hiked from there first to Lires and then to Finisterre.
Olaf Werheim, 2023
