Packing up the Pieces

Missing those summer vibes and company ☀️

Loving these colorful winter sunsets along the Rias on the quiet beaches 💙✨

The world can seem so messy these days. There’s so much unnecessary sadness, suffering, and heaviness.

Today, I choose to lean into the light.

To the guardian angels who show up in unexpected places and unlikely forms to a little dog who is so happy simply existing and walking in the forest. From the cool waters of the stream to the smell of mint on the trail.

Today, I bathe in gratitude and breathe in the mountain air a little deeper ✨

Happy Birthday to my Babe 🐾

You turn 4 today. ✨ From the mountains of Mexico, to the bluffs of Wisconsin, to the Rias of Galicia, and all the places we have left to go. I am so happy you chose me.

It’s not easy and we both have our quirks. But, we are learning to navigate this little life together. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To my big soul, Donaji 🐾💙

Wow, Wow, Wow!

My heart is literally overflowing with gratitude after my family visited me in Spain for over two weeks. This was our first family trip since 2018, when we road-tripped through Scotland and Ireland.

I took them to some of my favorite places in Galicia, like Muxia, Fisterra, and the rugged Death Coast. We stopped in Santiago de Compostela and soaked in hot springs on the border of Portugal.

We explored new places too. From the old Roman city of Lugo and the Rias Altas in the North, I fell even more in love with my new home.

We hiked, ate delicious meals, walked along cobblestone streets, strolled on beaches, and went for Vermu. Mostly, we just spent good quality time together. And for that, I am thankful to the depths of my soul.

Photo dump from two amazing weeks with my quirky, wonderful, little crew.

That smile says it all ❤️

Sunset walks with my babe 🐾

This is the New Year ❤️

One word put me to sleep last night and awoke in my consciousness. Acceptance

It’s such a simple concept and I felt it this afternoon on my walk. The dark, the light, the cold, the warmth of the sun. The dead of leaves, the aliveness of the green moss and stream. I find it in community of cities and hamlets and alone in the mountains.

Life is this world of contrasts and I am learning to accept and find the beauty in the shadows and in the light.

I have a good feeling about this year and I’m writing again, not for anyone else but myself.

May all beings find the beauty in acceptance. ✨

Just when I think Galicia can’t be more beautiful, she surprises me yet again. She has left me speechless and my heart overflowing with gratitude after a quick trip to the Cíes Islands.

The Cíes Islands consist of three islands and you can visit two by walking over a bridge (Faro & Monteagudo). They are protected and are considered a national marine park and a special place to those who call the Vigo Estuary home.

The islands were named after the Roman’s saying they were the “Islands of the Gods.” One things for certain, today it felt like a piece of paradise here on Earth.

Between the two main islands there are four hiking trails and many white sand beaches. The main beach Praia de Rodas has topped the world’s best beaches list, but I preferred the smaller and move enclaved Praia de Figueiras.

This gem is only short ferry ride from my new home 💙

“Well, there’s something about the mountain air they say’s good for your soul
And I say home is not a place. It’s where your heart feels its most whole
And I remember the way that wind brushed across my face I was home
I was home

I’d been blurring lines, feeling anxious I suppose
Nearly lost my mind, but with open eyes I know
And I don’t need to drown it out

‘Cause I’m happy here and now

Never know where your life’s gonna take you
‘Til it brings you home”

~ Lyrics by Chance Peña 💙

Day 9: Gradefes- Leon

I made the day way longer than it needed to be, but mentally I was already in Leon. I knew I had a long haul in front of me so I left early.

Again the way passes through farmland. It was easy to lose the signals as many of them were covered by overgrowth. I lost some timing and added some extra steps. There are absolutely no services and I should have loaded up on food in Cistierna.

A notable stop on the way is the Monasterio de San Miguel de Escalada. The interior is supposed to be incredible, but it was Monday, so it was closed. I ate the rest of my chocolate and continued onwards.

Most pilgrims continue to Mansilla del las Mulas which is part of the Camino Frances. I opted to take an alternative route towards the ruins of Monasterio de San Pedro de Eslonza. There really isn’t much left but I quite enjoyed the views walking into the village. I could see the mountain range that I walked through last year on the Camino de San Salvador.

The landscape is really quite different. It’s strange to have gone from the sea and estuary to the mountains to the dustiness of the plateau. It is beautiful in its own way.

I officially joined the Camino Frances in the village of Puente Villarente. I stayed in this village when I walked the Camino Frances in 2022 and my watch informed me I had walked 18 miles.

I stopped in a cafe for an orange Kas, a snack, and refilled my water.

I knew the way into Leon and decided to walk the almost 8 miles to the city center. When I arrived I checked to see if there was certificate for the Camino Vadiniense, but it’s such a quiet way there is no certificate. In fact, many of the albergues here in Leon had never heard of the route or seen the credencial (Lebaniego) I was carrying.

This is a beautiful and untouched Camino with many challenges. Those who undertake it will be rewarded with solitude and a deep appreciation for the lost tribes who called this area home and some of the last to resist the Roman conquest.

🥾25.75 miles (41.5 Km)
⌚️ 9 hours

Day 8: Cisteirna - Gradefes

A short and sweet day. The route follows a mixture of forest and farmland with stops in small villages with no services.

I saw a sign in Spanish that reads… Now, we leave the mountains behind us, and I felt a twinge of sadness.

It was mostly flat so I made great timing. Even with sleeping in I made it to my destination earlier than I expected.

At one point, it felt I could be hiking anywhere in Wisconsin. I passed by tractors, dairy cows, and even cat tails blooming near the water source. I saw many sunflower fields, but many of them were past season and dying.

I arrived in Gradefes to a festival in the Monastery. The small town was busy and I saw buses moving people to and from. I stopped at two of the busy bars only to find out I had to register at one to get the albergue key.

Again, I am the only pilgrim at the albergue and haven’t run into one since Potes.

I went in to visit the 12th century Monastery. It’s free for pilgrims.

Tomorrow I’m going to try to make it all the way to Leon, another long day.

🥾14.3 miles
⌚️under 5 hours

Day 7: Riaño - Cistierna

I combined two stages in one and my body feels done for it. Thankful for the beautiful weather and quite different landscapes. I could feel the difference in the air and temperature as I made my way out of the higher mountains.

I was thankful for the coffee stand that was open early in Riaño so I could grab a cup of coffee for my early start.

Riaño looked how it did when I visited a few years ago, completely covered in clouds. There really isn’t much information on this route but I opted for the por camino route over the carretera. There was so much fog and with how fast people were zipping down the road yesterday, I took my chances in the forest.

It was a nice dirt path out and I was relieved to see it climbed uphill before the intense mountain climb to the peak. The woman at the TI center told me to stick to the road but this was so much better. However, I had to check in with my offline map more than I wanted to. You can tell they are modifying the path. It was really quiet and I missed those mountain peaks views, but the fog in the forest was eerie yet comforting.

It’s a short stint on the road after Horcades. The fog kind of started to lift and I could get my final views of the reservoir before walking through the tunnel. Stick to the left or you may miss the next tunnel down to avoid the huge road stint.

A lot of this walk is trust, like as in trusting there will be an arrow to point you in the right direction.

Most people stop in cremes but I continued onwards. Keep following the Elsa River. From here you follow an old Roman road which is increíble but really hard on the knees. Those old stones run deep.

There are benches along the way with little poems. I had to be conscious of my time so I couldn’t relax too much.

The old Roman road follows the hillside and you can actually see many of the old boundaries of the road. I stopped in Valdoré for a quick drink to refuel myself and to recharge my devices. The albergue was full here (15 miles / 6 hours).

The path still follows the river and the lower mountain views are nice. It’s been so quiet and I haven’t seen a pilgrim since Potes.

Some sections are forest and others right alongside the river.

To reach Cistierna you must cross the waterway and follow the old mining tracks which brought life to the village. This town is on the “Forgotten Way,” but in only the pilgrim in the albergue tonight.

🥾22.5 miles (36.5 Km)
⌚️ 9.5 hours