Trabadelo to O'Cebreiro This has been a fantastic day! I set off at first light by myself to test out if my energy levels were restored after a difficult day yesterday. The combination of a good rest and a dose of Immodium seems to have done the trick! You get used to listening to what your body needs by way of relaxation and effort and I am becoming increasingly interested in the synergy between body and mind. After walking through some great mountain towns with...

Cacabelos to Trabadelo It's going to be a wet day climbing up onto the mountains today. The forecast is for a 100 percent chance of rain and so I am prepared for a different kind of Camino day. The mountain scenery and the lovely town of Villafranca del Bierzo reminds me a little of the wonderful Lake District back home and the heavy rain confirms my association. It's a long steady climb up on the side of the main road for most of the day, kitted out in full wet ...

Molinaseca to Cacabelos It was a chilly start to the day with a cool mountain air and the need for a fleece for most of the morning. The first city to walk through is Ponferrada which has at its heart an impressive old castle and we took time out of our journey to be tourists for an hour or so. Out of the city and along the wide valley floor where there is a 'Sunday afternoon' feel to the towns with pretty much everything closed for the day. This area is surround...

Rabanal to Molinaseca. I awake as a 60 year old which seems weird as I feel exactly the same as when I was 25 backpacking around Australia and New Zealand. Today is a long walk across the mountains including the highest point of the whole Camino. The early morning mountain air soon gives way to another hot sunny day and the climb is gradual and then a steep rise to get to Cruce de Ferro, the peak of the mountain range. Here the tradition is to leave something beh...

Astorga to Rabanal After the 'high' of yesterday's walk from sunrise to sunset, my body aches and I feel physically and emotionally drained. I cannot sleep because of the snoring in a nearby bunk and as I lie awake, I feel the sensation of two or three tears gliding down my cheeks into my ears. At 3.30 this morning, and after walking for four weeks, I do not think I can walk another step and I am exhausted. I have reached my low point on my journey. This Camino f...